Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Whanganui

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,000 in Whanganui, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Whanganui
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Whanganui Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Whanganui

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,000 in Whanganui, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Whanganui $2,000

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,910 in Whanganui, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Whanganui $2,910

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,820 in Whanganui, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Whanganui $3,820

Playa del Carmen is about 40% cheaper than Whanganui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Whanganui is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$12.42 NZ$22.04

-12.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$73.0 NZ$130

-40.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$8.38 NZ$14.89

40.57%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$3.36 NZ$5.97

13.39%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$2.21 NZ$3.93

-42.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$2.04 NZ$3.63

-61.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$5.48 NZ$9.73

-42.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$5.48 NZ$9.73

-10.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.34 NZ$2.37

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.01 NZ$1.79

119.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.16 NZ$2.05

22.41%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$5.54 NZ$9.84

-54.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$5.64 NZ$10.02

28.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$7.49 NZ$13.30

2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$11.96 NZ$21.23

6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.21 NZ$3.93

25.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.98 NZ$3.51

-30.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.89 NZ$3.35

34.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$3.51 NZ$6.23

-39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.70 NZ$3.03

14.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.32 NZ$2.34

43.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.27 NZ$4.02

-49.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.52 NZ$0.93

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$23.29 NZ$41.35

-81.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$9.56 NZ$16.97

4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$2.60 NZ$4.61

-39.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.23 NZ$3.96

19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.96 NZ$3.48

-71.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$109 NZ$193

-75.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$3.59 NZ$6.38

38.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.04 NZ$3.62

63.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$31.45 NZ$55.8

-82.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.62 NZ$2.87

-11.11%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$28.2K NZ$50.0K

-26.63%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$22.7K NZ$40.3K

3.29%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$197 NZ$351

-57.07%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$32.21 NZ$57.2

-27.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$47.07 NZ$83.6

-39.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$39.46 NZ$70.1

44.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$5.66 NZ$10.05

-9.19%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$686 NZ$1,218

-69.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$23.1K NZ$41.1K

-83.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$61.3 NZ$109

-29.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$38.61 NZ$68.6

7.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$93.4 NZ$166

-20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$106 NZ$188

-15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,030 NZ$1,828

-4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$939 NZ$1,668

-59.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,657 NZ$2,941

3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,465 NZ$2,602

-26.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$4,694 NZ$8,334

-16.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$2,967 NZ$5,267

107.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.8

68.38%

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 Whanganui: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Whanganui

$939 47% 147% $559

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Whanganui

$248 12.4% 2.6% $6.6

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Whanganui

$220 11% 8.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Whanganui

$277 13.8% 102% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Whanganui

$135 6.7% 20.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Whanganui

$51 2.5% 24.6% $17

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Whanganui

$130 6.5% 158% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,030 in Whanganui. 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 $73 in Whanganui. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $248 in Whanganui – so Whanganui wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇿 Whanganui

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

17:26 5:26 PM

18 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

42,300

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Whanganui 12,110 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Whanganui

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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Whanganui is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,000 in Whanganui. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,030 in Whanganui. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,000 in Whanganui. That makes Playa del Carmen about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Whanganui at $2,000. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Whanganui it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.