Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,525 in South Yarra, 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 South Yarra
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South Yarra Living Index
57

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

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South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,525

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,525 per month in South Yarra vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

South Yarra $2,525
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,604 per month in South Yarra vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

South Yarra $3,604
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,684 per month in South Yarra vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

South Yarra $4,684
Playa del Carmen $2,962

South Yarra costs about 110% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

South Yarra sits 87% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 A$25.05

$10.67 MX$201

63.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$123

$43.80 MX$824

95.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 A$12.11

$11.79 MX$222

-28.41%

Cappuccino

$3.48 A$5.00

$3.79 MX$71.2

-8.18%

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

$2.04 A$2.93

$1.30 MX$24.41

56.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 A$2.47

$0.83 MX$15.69

107.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.74 A$13.97

$3.15 MX$59.2

209.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.50 A$12.19

$4.93 MX$92.9

72.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.25

$1.41 MX$26.51

11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.10

$2.20 MX$41.32

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 A$1.97

$1.47 MX$27.71

-6.12%

Eggs

$4.11 A$5.90

$2.50 MX$46.99

64.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.80 A$14.05

$7.29 MX$137

34.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.04 A$10.10

$7.95 MX$150

-11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 A$22.05

$12.86 MX$242

19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.00

$2.90 MX$54.5

-3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.95

$1.38 MX$26.03

49.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 A$2.02

$2.49 MX$46.88

-43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.92

$2.03 MX$38.20

34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 A$1.97

$2.02 MX$38.11

-32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.03

$1.90 MX$35.82

11.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.42

$1.14 MX$21.54

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.24 MX$23.32

12.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.97 A$45.87

$4.27 MX$80.4

648.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 A$18.39

$9.81 MX$185

30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$8.03

$1.59 MX$29.85

251.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.65

$2.75 MX$51.7

93.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 A$3.96

$0.51 MX$9.69

441.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 A$126

$27.39 MX$515

221.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 A$5.47

$4.76 MX$89.6

-19.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$3.25 MX$61.1

-55.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.73 A$42.65

$5.39 MX$101

451.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.85

$1.53 MX$28.76

-15.69%

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

$29.7K A$42.5K

$21.2K MX$399.2K

39.80%

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

$25.8K A$37.0K

$23.3K MX$437.8K

10.95%

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

$237 A$340

$83.5 MX$1,571

183.76%

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

$26.63 A$38.21

$23.19 MX$436

14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.26 A$59.2

$27.61 MX$520

49.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 A$83.4

$56.4 MX$1,062

3.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 A$22.16

$28.19 MX$531

-45.19%

Cinema Ticket

$16.75 A$24.02

$5.00 MX$94.1

235.00%

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

$2,471 A$3,545

$207 MX$3,897

1093.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.9K A$48.6K

$5,231 MX$98.4K

548.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 A$114

$43.45 MX$818

83.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 A$72.2

$42.54 MX$801

18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$175

$72.8 MX$1,369

67.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$88.4 MX$1,663

50.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 A$2,015

$995 MX$18.7K

41.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 A$1,773

$382 MX$7,197

223.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 A$3,311

$1,674 MX$31.5K

37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 A$2,616

$1,081 MX$20.3K

68.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,976 A$7,139

$3,909 MX$73.6K

27.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,912 A$7,048

$6,138 MX$115.5K

-19.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.94

11.45

-48.12%

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

Last update for South Yarra: 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

South Yarra

$1.2K 49%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 69.1% $854

Groceries & Markets

South Yarra

$321 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 19.9% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Yarra

$305 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 55.9% $171

Eating Out

South Yarra

$288 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 30.3% $87

Clothing & Footwear

South Yarra

$173 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 35.8% $62

Getting Around

South Yarra

$110 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 54.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

South Yarra

$92 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 27.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,404 in South Yarra 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 $85 in South Yarra versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

07:49 7:49 AM

16 h behind South Yarra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,147

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.697 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.622 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Yarra Playa del Carmen 14,690 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

South Yarra
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

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

Yes – South Yarra is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,787 per month in South Yarra and $1,804 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 $995 there versus $1,404 in South Yarra.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,525 in South Yarra and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 69% 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 $1,202, than in South Yarra at $2,525. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Yarra 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 52% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.