Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rarotonga

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,117 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Rarotonga

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 Rarotonga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,117 in Rarotonga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Rarotonga $1,117

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,581 in Rarotonga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Rarotonga $1,581

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,045 in Rarotonga, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Rarotonga $2,045

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Rarotonga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Rarotonga are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Rarotonga 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$14.31 NZ$25.50

-23.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$51.0 NZ$90.9

-14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.70 NZ$10.15

106.67%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.33 NZ$5.93

14.41%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-42.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$2.25 NZ$4.01

-65.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.05 NZ$8.99

-37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$5.06 NZ$9.02

-2.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.80 NZ$4.98

-49.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.91 NZ$5.19

-23.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$6.22 NZ$11.08

-59.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.20 NZ$12.83

0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$11.49 NZ$20.47

-62.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$11.19 NZ$19.95

-11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$3.34 NZ$5.96

-52.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$5.06 NZ$9.01

-47.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.89 NZ$5.15

-80.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$20.16 NZ$35.93

-75.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$33.69 NZ$60.1

-84.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.68 NZ$3.00

-14.29%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$11.4K NZ$20.3K

81.68%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$101 NZ$180

-16.17%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$48.92 NZ$87.2

-52.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$103 NZ$183

-72.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$446 NZ$795

119.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$455 NZ$811

-16.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$683 NZ$1,217

150.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$633 NZ$1,128

69.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$3,985 NZ$7,102

-81.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rarotonga: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Rarotonga

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Rarotonga

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Rarotonga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Rarotonga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Rarotonga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Rarotonga

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Rarotonga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $446 in Rarotonga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rarotonga are about 5.4 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $51 in Rarotonga. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $153 in Rarotonga – so Rarotonga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

09:00 9:00 AM

5 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

13,373

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Rarotonga 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Rarotonga

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 Rarotonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,676 in Rarotonga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rarotonga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $446 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $51 in Rarotonga. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,117 in Rarotonga. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,117 in Rarotonga to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.