Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Lincoln and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,549 in Port Lincoln, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Port Lincoln, Australia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Port Lincoln
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,549
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Lincoln and in Playa del Carmen

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

A single person spends $2,549 per month in Port Lincoln vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Port Lincoln $2,549
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,656 per month in Port Lincoln vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Port Lincoln $3,656
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,764 per month in Port Lincoln vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Port Lincoln $4,764
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Port Lincoln costs about 112% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Lincoln sits 89% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.39 A$25.08
$10.67 MX$200
62.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.0 A$121
$43.80 MX$823
91.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.66 A$15.37
$11.79 MX$221
-9.58%
Cappuccino
$3.95 A$5.70
$3.79 MX$71.1
4.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 A$4.09
$1.30 MX$24.36
118.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 A$3.18
$0.83 MX$15.65
165.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.61 A$10.98
$3.15 MX$59.1
141.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.48 A$10.78
$4.93 MX$92.7
51.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.58 A$2.28
$1.41 MX$26.46
12.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.62 A$3.79
$2.20 MX$41.23
19.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.23
$1.47 MX$27.66
52.38%
Eggs
$5.00 A$7.21
$2.50 MX$46.89
100.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.11 A$13.14
$7.29 MX$137
24.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.39 A$13.54
$7.95 MX$149
18.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.98 A$21.60
$12.86 MX$242
16.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 A$5.53
$2.90 MX$54.4
32.07%
Banana (1kg)
$3.03 A$4.37
$1.38 MX$25.98
119.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.20 A$4.62
$2.49 MX$46.78
28.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 A$6.52
$2.03 MX$38.12
122.66%
Potato (1kg)
$2.74 A$3.95
$2.02 MX$38.03
35.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 A$3.43
$1.90 MX$35.74
24.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 A$3.49
$1.14 MX$21.49
112.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 A$2.33
$1.24 MX$23.27
29.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$39.41 A$56.9
$4.27 MX$80.2
822.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.11 A$20.35
$9.81 MX$184
43.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.82 A$6.96
$1.59 MX$29.78
203.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.11 A$7.38
$2.75 MX$51.6
85.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.69 A$3.88
$0.51 MX$9.67
427.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.3 A$120
$27.39 MX$514
204.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.58 A$5.16
$4.76 MX$89.4
-24.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 A$2.28
$3.25 MX$61.0
-51.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.95 A$57.6
$5.39 MX$101
641.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 A$1.97
$1.53 MX$28.70
-11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K A$43.2K
$21.2K MX$398.4K
41.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K A$38.1K
$23.3K MX$436.9K
13.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 A$303
$83.5 MX$1,568
151.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.30 A$39.38
$23.19 MX$435
17.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.3 A$81.2
$27.61 MX$519
103.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.7 A$81.8
$56.4 MX$1,060
0.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.66 A$25.48
$28.19 MX$529
-37.35%
Cinema Ticket
$13.82 A$19.94
$5.00 MX$93.9
176.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,154 A$3,107
$207 MX$3,889
940.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.7K A$29.8K
$5,231 MX$98.2K
294.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.8 A$111
$43.45 MX$816
76.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.6 A$78.8
$42.54 MX$799
28.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 A$153
$72.8 MX$1,367
45.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 A$180
$88.4 MX$1,660
40.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 A$2,035
$995 MX$18.7K
41.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,243 A$1,794
$382 MX$7,181
225.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,267 A$3,270
$1,674 MX$31.4K
35.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,843 A$2,659
$1,081 MX$20.3K
70.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,761 A$8,310
$3,909 MX$73.4K
47.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,942 A$7,129
$6,138 MX$115.3K
-19.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Port Lincoln
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
11.45
-48.47%

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

Last update for Port Lincoln: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Port Lincoln
$1.2K
Playa del Carmen
$382 69.2% $861
Groceries & Markets
Port Lincoln
$367
Playa del Carmen
$257 30% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Port Lincoln
$293
Playa del Carmen
$134 54.2% $159
Eating Out
Port Lincoln
$292
Playa del Carmen
$200 31.3% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Port Lincoln
$163
Playa del Carmen
$111 31.7% $52
Getting Around
Port Lincoln
$106
Playa del Carmen
$50 52.2% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Port Lincoln
$84
Playa del Carmen
$66 21.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,410 in Port Lincoln versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $84 in Port Lincoln versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Port Lincoln
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
19:44 7:44 PM
04:14 4:14 AM
15 h 30 min behind Port Lincoln
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,404
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Port Lincoln Playa del Carmen 15,550 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Port Lincoln
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Port Lincoln vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Port Lincoln?
Yes – Port Lincoln is pricier by about 112%, 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 $3,823 per month in Port Lincoln and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,410 in Port Lincoln.
What are total monthly expenses in Port Lincoln and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,549 in Port Lincoln and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 53% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 67% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Port Lincoln or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Port Lincoln at $2,549. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Lincoln it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Port Lincoln or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Port Lincoln vs other spots: cost of living compared

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