Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,347 in Southern Cross, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index
59

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

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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Southern Cross vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Southern Cross $2,347
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,547 per month in Southern Cross vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Southern Cross $3,547
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,747 per month in Southern Cross vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Southern Cross $4,747
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Southern Cross costs about 94% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Southern Cross sits 74% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 A$28.30

$10.76 MX$199

82.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 A$89.1

$43.03 MX$795

43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$15.13

$11.79 MX$218

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.14

$3.87 MX$71.4

-7.75%

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

$2.47 A$3.55

$1.37 MX$25.29

80.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.44

$0.84 MX$15.44

102.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 A$10.19

$3.10 MX$57.3

128.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$5.07 MX$93.6

62.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.44 MX$26.55

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.80

$2.23 MX$41.23

18.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$1.47 MX$27.17

48.30%

Eggs

$2.72 A$3.92

$2.53 MX$46.71

7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.55

$7.30 MX$135

29.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 A$13.16

$7.86 MX$145

16.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 A$21.13

$12.79 MX$236

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.51

$2.90 MX$53.6

32.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$1.44 MX$26.53

115.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$2.55 MX$47.07

30.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$2.06 MX$38.03

131.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.07

$2.00 MX$36.97

41.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.43

$2.01 MX$37.07

18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$1.19 MX$22.02

101.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.26 MX$23.23

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.77 A$50.0

$4.40 MX$81.4

690.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 A$20.19

$9.59 MX$177

46.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.67

$1.59 MX$29.41

191.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.67

$2.81 MX$51.9

89.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.88

$0.57 MX$10.47

373.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.3 A$133

$27.82 MX$514

231.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 A$4.32

$4.98 MX$92.1

-39.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.40

$3.50 MX$64.6

-52.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.90 A$56.0

$5.40 MX$99.8

620.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.80

$1.47 MX$27.08

-14.97%

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

$24.1K A$34.7K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

14.93%

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

$28.1K A$40.5K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

17.66%

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

$201 A$289

$84.2 MX$1,556

138.31%

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

$28.18 A$40.56

$23.99 MX$443

17.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$81.7

$29.02 MX$536

95.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 A$71.6

$63.0 MX$1,164

-20.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.77

$29.14 MX$539

-38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 A$19.20

$4.94 MX$91.3

170.04%

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

$2,080 A$2,994

$204 MX$3,763

921.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$25.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

356.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 A$116

$43.60 MX$806

85.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 A$82.2

$43.12 MX$797

32.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 A$141

$75.8 MX$1,400

29.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$88.6 MX$1,637

49.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 A$1,821

$1,008 MX$18.6K

25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,507

$374 MX$6,911

180.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 A$3,180

$1,708 MX$31.6K

29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$1,106 MX$20.4K

75.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,734 A$8,251

$3,944 MX$72.9K

45.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,261 A$7,571

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-14.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,010 A$10.1K

$754 MX$13.9K

829.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.45

-45.41%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 64.3% $673

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$357 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 27.6% $99

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$300 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 32.6% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$286 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 52% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$166 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 31.8% $53

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$114 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 54.1% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$76 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 4.7% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,265 in Southern Cross versus $1,008 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 run about 829% higher in Southern Cross, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Southern Cross versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

05:03 5:03 AM

13 h behind Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Southern Cross Playa del Carmen 17,130 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Southern Cross
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

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

Yes – Southern Cross is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,520 per month in Southern Cross and $1,816 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Southern Cross and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 94%.

Public transport costs about 232% 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 $1,210, than in Southern Cross at $2,347. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southern Cross 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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