Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Wagga Wagga

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,906 in Wagga Wagga, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Wagga Wagga, Australia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Wagga Wagga
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,906
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,906 in Wagga Wagga, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Wagga Wagga $1,906

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,885 in Wagga Wagga, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Wagga Wagga $2,885

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,865 in Wagga Wagga, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Wagga Wagga $3,865

Playa del Carmen is about 37% cheaper than Wagga Wagga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Wagga Wagga is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$13.65 A$19.48
-20.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$90.4 A$129
-52.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$10.32 A$14.73
14.15%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$4.02 A$5.74
-5.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$3.12 A$4.46
-58.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$2.51 A$3.58
-68.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$8.64 A$12.33
-63.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$10.01 A$14.28
-50.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$1.49 A$2.13
-5.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$3.21 A$4.59
-30.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$2.60 A$3.72
-45.38%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$5.32 A$7.59
-52.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$12.97 A$18.51
-44.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$9.90 A$14.14
-22.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$15.47 A$22.08
-17.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$4.02 A$5.74
-30.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$3.13 A$4.47
-56.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$3.46 A$4.94
-26.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$5.20 A$7.42
-59.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$3.09 A$4.42
-37.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$2.72 A$3.88
-30.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$2.46 A$3.51
-53.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$1.40 A$2.00
-15.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$45.05 A$64.3
-90.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$13.91 A$19.85
-28.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$4.65 A$6.64
-66.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$5.46 A$7.79
-51.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$3.18 A$4.54
-82.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$4.14 A$5.91
20.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$1.57 A$2.24
112.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$42.56 A$60.7
-87.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.31 A$1.87
9.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$28.4K A$40.5K
-27.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$26.8K A$38.3K
-12.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$186 A$265
-54.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$27.04 A$38.59
-13.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$56.3 A$80.3
-49.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$28.02 A$39.99
103.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$15.87 A$22.65
-67.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$2,202 A$3,143
-90.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$20.5K A$29.3K
-80.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$77.3 A$110
-43.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$56.3 A$80.4
-26.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$109 A$155
-31.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$131 A$187
-31.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$907 A$1,294
8.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$714 A$1,019
-46.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$1,526 A$2,179
11.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$1,128 A$1,610
-4.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$3,463 A$4,942
13.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$2,408 A$3,436
155.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Wagga Wagga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.95
92.44%

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 Wagga Wagga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Wagga Wagga
$714 87.5% $333
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Wagga Wagga
$396 55.3% $141
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Wagga Wagga
$274 35.5% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Wagga Wagga
$269 96.7% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Wagga Wagga
$168 50.5% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Wagga Wagga
$60 11.2% $7.6
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Wagga Wagga
$25 * 51% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $907 in Wagga Wagga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $90 in Wagga Wagga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $396 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇦🇺 Wagga Wagga
🕒 Local time
13:26 1:26 PM
05:26 5:26 AM
16 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
49,686
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Wagga Wagga 14,500 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Wagga Wagga

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 Wagga Wagga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Wagga Wagga?
Yes – Wagga Wagga is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,859 in Wagga Wagga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Wagga Wagga?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $907 in Wagga Wagga. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Wagga Wagga?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,906 in Wagga Wagga. That makes Playa del Carmen about 37% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,202 in Wagga Wagga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Wagga Wagga?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Wagga Wagga at $1,906. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wagga Wagga it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Wagga Wagga?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,906 in Wagga Wagga. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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