Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Palmerston North

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,714 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,743 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,773 in Palmerston North.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 24% less than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Palmerston North is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$16.49 NZ$27.84

-28.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$71.3 NZ$120

-41.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$12.21 NZ$20.62

-12.86%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.57 NZ$6.03

-1.40%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MX$26.12

$2.38 NZ$4.02

-36.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-53.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$7.15 NZ$12.07

-58.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$6.31 NZ$10.65

-29.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.01 NZ$3.40

-31.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$2.10 NZ$3.54

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.75 NZ$2.95

-6.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$5.23 NZ$8.82

-52.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.26 NZ$13.95

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.23 NZ$15.58

-9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.60 NZ$21.27

-14.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.51 NZ$4.23

3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.80 NZ$3.04

-18.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.46 NZ$4.15

-22.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$3.34 NZ$5.63

-37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.16 NZ$3.64

-17.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.18 NZ$3.68

0.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$2.04 NZ$3.45

-49.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.97 NZ$1.65

11.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$20.54 NZ$34.68

-80.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.04 NZ$15.27

14.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.52 NZ$4.26

-32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$5.41 NZ$9.14

-52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$4.72 NZ$7.98

-89.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$30.37 NZ$51.3

-12.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.47 NZ$4.18

31.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.84 NZ$3.11

35.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.02 NZ$28.73

-80.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.73 NZ$2.92

-24.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

61.07%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

7.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.9 MX$1,433

$89.8 NZ$152

-7.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.22 MX$384

$37.60 NZ$63.5

-40.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$48.40 NZ$81.7

-39.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$34.74 NZ$58.7

48.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.16 NZ$22.22

39.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$9.00 NZ$15.20

-43.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$201 MX$3,473

$1,004 NZ$1,694

-79.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

-15.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$57.6 NZ$97.3

-35.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$37.67 NZ$63.6

5.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$91.2 NZ$154

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$93.4 NZ$158

-6.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$839 NZ$1,416

15.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$688 NZ$1,162

-32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,548 NZ$2,614

6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,390 NZ$2,347

-12.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,200 NZ$3,714

79.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,969 NZ$3,324

230.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,671 NZ$4,509

-75.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.69

70.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $839 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 302% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $71.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $300 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Palmerston North differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,714 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Palmerston North earns 302% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,714 in Palmerston North, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Palmerston North are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.