Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Playa del Carmen

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.

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

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Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,117

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rarotonga is about 7% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.31 NZ$25.50

$10.92 MX$204

31.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 NZ$90.9

$43.37 MX$808

17.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NZ$10.15

$11.78 MX$220

-51.61%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NZ$5.93

$3.81 MX$71.0

-12.60%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.93

$1.28 MX$23.90

72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NZ$4.01

$0.78 MX$14.59

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 NZ$8.99

$3.17 MX$59.0

59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$9.02

$4.93 MX$92.0

2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 NZ$4.98

$1.41 MX$26.22

98.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 NZ$5.19

$2.22 MX$41.33

31.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$11.08

$2.52 MX$47.03

146.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 NZ$12.83

$7.26 MX$135

-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)

$11.49 NZ$20.47

$4.30 MX$80.1

167.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NZ$19.95

$9.95 MX$185

12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NZ$5.96

$1.58 MX$29.52

111.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$9.01

$2.67 MX$49.79

89.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 NZ$5.15

$0.55 MX$10.31

425.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 NZ$35.93

$4.97 MX$92.6

305.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.69 NZ$60.1

$5.36 MX$99.8

528.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$3.00

$1.44 MX$26.92

16.67%

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

$11.4K NZ$20.3K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-44.96%

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)

$101 NZ$180

$84.8 MX$1,581

19.28%

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

$48.92 NZ$87.2

$23.41 MX$436

108.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$183

$28.66 MX$534

259.11%

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)

$446 NZ$795

$980 MX$18.3K

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 NZ$811

$381 MX$7,099

19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 NZ$1,217

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 NZ$1,128

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-41.12%

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)

$3,985 NZ$7,102

$735 MX$13.7K

442.50%

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 Rarotonga: October 25, 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

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Rarotonga

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $446 in Rarotonga 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 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 $51 in Rarotonga versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $153 in Rarotonga vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Rarotonga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

13:01 1:01 PM

5 h ahead of Rarotonga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,373

149,923

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Rarotonga
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

Rarotonga vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $1,676 per month in Rarotonga 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 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 $51 in Rarotonga and $43 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,117 in Rarotonga and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. 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.