Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Macquarie and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,530 in Port Macquarie, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index
58

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

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Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Macquarie 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 Macquarie and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Port Macquarie vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Macquarie $2,530
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,581 per month in Port Macquarie vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Macquarie $3,581
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,633 per month in Port Macquarie vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Macquarie $4,633
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Port Macquarie costs about 110% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Macquarie sits 86% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$24.75

$10.92 MX$205

59.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 A$125

$43.37 MX$814

102.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 A$14.86

$11.78 MX$221

-11.29%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.63

$3.81 MX$71.5

3.94%

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

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.28 MX$24.07

93.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.31

$0.78 MX$14.70

107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 A$8.75

$3.17 MX$59.5

94.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 A$8.84

$4.93 MX$92.7

26.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.41 MX$26.40

53.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.22 MX$41.62

40.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.08

$1.42 MX$26.61

102.11%

Eggs

$5.24 A$7.45

$2.52 MX$47.36

107.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 A$7.57

$7.26 MX$136

-26.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 A$14.68

$7.70 MX$144

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.17 A$17.30

$12.69 MX$238

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.78 MX$52.3

13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$4.21 A$5.99

$1.37 MX$25.68

207.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.43

$2.55 MX$47.89

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.91

$2.12 MX$39.86

129.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.46

$1.94 MX$36.39

25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$1.89 MX$35.41

25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.15 MX$21.53

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$1.18 MX$22.13

29.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.83 A$60.9

$4.30 MX$80.6

896.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 A$14.67

$9.95 MX$187

3.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.34 A$6.17

$1.58 MX$29.73

174.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 A$7.64

$2.67 MX$50.1

101.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 A$4.01

$0.55 MX$10.39

412.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 A$131

$26.62 MX$500

246.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 A$4.80

$4.97 MX$93.3

-32.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 A$2.43

$3.33 MX$62.5

-48.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.86 A$52.4

$5.36 MX$101

587.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.79

$1.44 MX$27.11

-12.50%

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

$26.4K A$37.5K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

27.74%

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

$22.1K A$31.4K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-5.95%

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

$210 A$298

$84.8 MX$1,592

147.58%

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

$30.48 A$43.32

$23.41 MX$439

30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 A$85.0

$28.66 MX$538

108.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 A$73.8

$57.1 MX$1,071

-8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.97 A$14.17

$28.91 MX$543

-65.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 A$15.33

$5.14 MX$96.5

109.92%

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

$2,172 A$3,087

$207 MX$3,878

951.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K A$30.7K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

449.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 A$123

$43.35 MX$814

100.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.0

$41.44 MX$778

32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$148

$74.2 MX$1,393

40.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$89.3 MX$1,676

24.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 A$1,961

$980 MX$18.4K

40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 A$1,775

$381 MX$7,150

227.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 A$3,060

$1,708 MX$32.1K

26.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 A$2,474

$1,075 MX$20.2K

61.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,822 A$8,275

$3,943 MX$74.0K

47.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,964 A$7,055

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-19.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 A$3,958

$735 MX$13.8K

279.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.45

-53.45%

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

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.5% $868

Groceries & Markets

Port Macquarie

$354 14%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 28.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Macquarie

$300 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 54.4% $163

Eating Out

Port Macquarie

$278 11%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 27.2% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Port Macquarie

$161 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 30.4% $49

Getting Around

Port Macquarie

$115 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 56.3% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Port Macquarie

$73 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 8.4% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,379 in Port Macquarie versus $980 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.

Salaries in Port Macquarie are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88 in Port Macquarie versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

14:51 2:51 PM

16 h behind Port Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,793

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Macquarie Playa del Carmen 13,970 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Macquarie
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 Macquarie vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Macquarie is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Port Macquarie and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,379 in Port Macquarie.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,530 in Port Macquarie and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 71% 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 Port Macquarie at $2,530. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Macquarie 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Macquarie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.