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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,631 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,689 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,747 in Palmerston North.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 21% less than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Palmerston North is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$14.30 NZ$24.30

-18.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$69.2 NZ$118

-32.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.49 NZ$16.13

22.76%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.42 NZ$5.82

19.59%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$2.45 NZ$4.17

-44.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.84 NZ$3.12

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$6.69 NZ$11.36

-49.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$7.13 NZ$12.12

-3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.96 NZ$3.33

-11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$2.31 NZ$3.92

-2.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$1.40 NZ$2.38

26.43%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$5.38 NZ$9.14

-49.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$7.06 NZ$12.00

30.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.10 NZ$17.16

-11.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$11.22 NZ$19.06

12.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.65 NZ$4.50

13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-30.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.30 NZ$3.91

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$5.93 NZ$10.08

-61.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.52 NZ$2.58

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$0.91 NZ$1.55

126.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.74 NZ$2.96

-32.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.75 NZ$1.27

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$23.85 NZ$40.51

-80.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.53 NZ$14.48

25.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-44.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.91 NZ$4.94

-1.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$4.22 NZ$7.17

-86.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$85.5 NZ$145

-65.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$1.96 NZ$3.33

178.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.86 NZ$3.17

98.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$17.77 NZ$30.19

-66.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.73 NZ$2.94

-10.40%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

-2.68%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

1.69%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$73.0 NZ$124

22.06%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$33.34 NZ$56.6

-24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$36.98 NZ$62.8

-14.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$23.56 NZ$40.02

187.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$14.88 NZ$25.27

94.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$12.33 NZ$20.94

-59.04%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$1,105 NZ$1,876

-79.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

-51.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$73.9 NZ$126

-35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$29.14 NZ$49.50

54.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$86.6 NZ$147

-5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$88.5 NZ$150

4.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$955 NZ$1,623

11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$665 NZ$1,129

-39.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,655 NZ$2,811

16.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,364 NZ$2,317

-4.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,196 NZ$3,731

81.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,927 NZ$3,273

243.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$2,646 NZ$4,494

-71.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.39

112.43%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $955 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 253% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $69.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $301 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,631 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 253% lower in Palmerston North. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $955 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,105 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,631 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 26% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.