Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Palmerston North

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,562 in Palmerston North, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Palmerston North

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Palmerston North actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,562 in Palmerston North.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Palmerston North $1,562

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,537 in Palmerston North.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Palmerston North $2,537

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,511 in Palmerston North.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Palmerston North $3,511

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 23% less than in Palmerston North, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Palmerston North is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$13.50 NZ$23.87

-20.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$63.7 NZ$113

-32.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$8.80 NZ$15.56

33.98%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.13 NZ$5.54

23.64%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$2.36 NZ$4.18

-41.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.68 NZ$2.97

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$6.43 NZ$11.38

-51.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$6.52 NZ$11.53

-22.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.84 NZ$3.26

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$2.14 NZ$3.78

4.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.37 NZ$2.42

7.30%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$4.85 NZ$8.58

-47.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$6.41 NZ$11.34

13.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$9.50 NZ$16.80

-17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$10.78 NZ$19.06

18.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$2.54 NZ$4.48

14.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$2.23 NZ$3.94

-35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$2.30 NZ$4.07

10.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$5.53 NZ$9.78

-62.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.41 NZ$2.49

41.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.86 NZ$1.53

133.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-30.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.75 NZ$1.33

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$22.06 NZ$39.00

-80.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$7.91 NZ$13.99

21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.65 NZ$4.69

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.78 NZ$4.91

1.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$3.93 NZ$6.95

-85.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$82.3 NZ$146

-66.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$1.87 NZ$3.30

166.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.78 NZ$3.14

96.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$16.63 NZ$29.40

-67.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.64 NZ$2.90

-10.37%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

-2.69%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

-0.07%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$68.2 NZ$121

23.44%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$32.09 NZ$56.8

-25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$34.64 NZ$61.3

-16.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$21.79 NZ$38.54

189.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$14.08 NZ$24.90

106.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$11.60 NZ$20.52

-57.41%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$1,034 NZ$1,829

-80.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

-53.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$69.5 NZ$123

-37.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$27.70 NZ$48.98

55.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$83.1 NZ$147

-8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$82.5 NZ$146

7.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$906 NZ$1,602

11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$639 NZ$1,129

-41.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$1,587 NZ$2,807

7.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$1,311 NZ$2,318

-15.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$2,023 NZ$3,577

95.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,836 NZ$3,247

236.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$2,494 NZ$4,411

-69.76%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Palmerston North

$639 40.9% 70.8% $265

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Palmerston North

$283 18.1% 9.6% $25

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Palmerston North

$233 14.9% 15.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Palmerston North

$135 8.6% 1.6% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Palmerston North

$118 7.6% 4.6% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Palmerston North

$45 2.9% 38.2% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Palmerston North

$109 7% 107% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $906 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 231% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $64.0 in Palmerston North for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $283 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

18 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

90,500

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Palmerston North 12,080 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Palmerston North

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,210 vs $1,562 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 231% 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $906 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,034 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,562 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 29% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.