Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockhampton and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,987 in Rockhampton, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
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Rockhampton Living Index
58

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

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Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,987

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,987 per month in Rockhampton vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rockhampton $1,987
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,229 per month in Rockhampton vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rockhampton $3,229
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,471 per month in Rockhampton vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rockhampton $4,471
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Rockhampton costs about 65% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rockhampton sits 46% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.51 A$29.27

$10.92 MX$205

87.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$120

$43.37 MX$813

93.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$14.14

$11.78 MX$221

-15.96%

Cappuccino

$5.01 A$7.15

$3.81 MX$71.4

31.50%

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

$2.40 A$3.43

$1.28 MX$24.03

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 A$3.96

$0.78 MX$14.67

255.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 A$10.94

$3.17 MX$59.3

141.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 A$9.23

$4.93 MX$92.5

31.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 A$3.40

$1.41 MX$26.35

68.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.22 MX$41.54

5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.09

$1.42 MX$26.56

52.82%

Eggs

$3.84 A$5.48

$2.52 MX$47.27

52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.86 A$9.79

$7.26 MX$136

-5.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 A$15.92

$7.70 MX$144

44.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 A$22.46

$12.69 MX$238

24.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.80

$2.78 MX$52.2

-4.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.94

$1.37 MX$25.64

50.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.67

$2.55 MX$47.80

-26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 A$7.07

$2.12 MX$39.78

133.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 A$2.84

$1.94 MX$36.32

2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$1.89 MX$35.34

22.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.75

$1.15 MX$21.49

66.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.18

$1.18 MX$22.09

88.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.33 A$53.3

$4.30 MX$80.5

768.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 A$21.66

$9.95 MX$186

52.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$5.02

$1.58 MX$29.67

122.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 A$8.47

$2.67 MX$50.1

122.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 A$2.46

$0.55 MX$10.37

212.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 A$90.2

$26.62 MX$499

137.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.93

$4.97 MX$93.1

-30.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.51

$3.33 MX$62.4

-47.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 A$56.1

$5.36 MX$100

633.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.73

$1.44 MX$27.06

-15.97%

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

$29.8K A$42.6K

$20.7K MX$387.3K

44.35%

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

$22.9K A$32.7K

$23.5K MX$439.7K

-2.51%

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

$203 A$290

$84.8 MX$1,589

139.96%

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

$23.89 A$34.10

$23.41 MX$439

2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$96.5

$28.66 MX$537

135.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.77 A$56.8

$57.1 MX$1,069

-30.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 A$20.31

$28.91 MX$542

-50.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 A$22.68

$5.14 MX$96.3

209.14%

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

$1,776 A$2,535

$207 MX$3,871

759.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,584 A$9,398

$3,927 MX$73.6K

67.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 A$182

$43.35 MX$812

194.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 A$85.0

$41.44 MX$777

43.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 A$202

$74.2 MX$1,390

90.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 A$91.3

$89.3 MX$1,672

-28.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 A$1,169

$980 MX$18.4K

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 A$968

$381 MX$7,136

78.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 A$2,319

$1,708 MX$32.0K

-4.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 A$2,211

$1,075 MX$20.1K

44.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,315 A$4,731

$735 MX$13.8K

351.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.27

11.45

-45.24%

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

Last update for Rockhampton: 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

Rockhampton

$678 34.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 43.9% $297

Groceries & Markets

Rockhampton

$358 18%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 28.8% $103

Eating Out

Rockhampton

$326 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 37.9% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockhampton

$295 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 53.6% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Rockhampton

$176 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 36.7% $65

Getting Around

Rockhampton

$82 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 38.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rockhampton

$72 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 5.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $819 in Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton are about 4.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Rockhampton versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:49 10:49 PM

07:49 7:49 AM

15 h behind Rockhampton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,151

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Rockhampton Playa del Carmen 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Rockhampton
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

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

Yes – Rockhampton is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,981 per month in Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,987 in Rockhampton and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 39% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% 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 Rockhampton at $1,987. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rockhampton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 $1,987 in Rockhampton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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