Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,343 in Sunshine Coast, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index
58

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

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Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,343 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $2,343
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $3,553
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,762 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $4,762
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sunshine Coast costs about 95% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sunshine Coast sits 72% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.18

$10.92 MX$204

62.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 A$105

$43.37 MX$808

70.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$14.98

$11.78 MX$220

-10.53%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.63

$3.81 MX$71.0

3.94%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$1.28 MX$23.90

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$0.78 MX$14.59

251.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 A$10.63

$3.17 MX$59.0

135.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 A$13.08

$4.93 MX$92.0

86.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.41 MX$26.22

-5.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 A$2.79

$2.22 MX$41.33

-11.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$1.42 MX$26.42

44.37%

Eggs

$4.74 A$6.73

$2.52 MX$47.03

88.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 A$15.87

$7.26 MX$135

53.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.35

$7.70 MX$143

3.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 A$30.22

$12.69 MX$237

67.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$2.78 MX$51.9

13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.50

$1.37 MX$25.50

79.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$2.55 MX$47.55

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.75

$2.12 MX$39.58

91.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$1.94 MX$36.13

11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.89 MX$35.16

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.15 MX$21.37

93.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.28

$1.18 MX$21.98

95.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$47.13 A$67.0

$4.30 MX$80.1

996.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 A$22.08

$9.95 MX$185

56.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.83

$1.58 MX$29.52

248.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.41

$2.67 MX$49.79

121.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$0.55 MX$10.31

-32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.32 A$34.56

$26.62 MX$496

-8.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.02

$4.97 MX$92.6

-57.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$3.33 MX$62.1

-51.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.31 A$51.6

$5.36 MX$99.8

577.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.44 MX$26.92

-7.64%

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

$31.3K A$44.5K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

51.43%

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

$31.1K A$44.2K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

32.50%

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

$139 A$198

$84.8 MX$1,581

64.22%

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

$43.15 A$61.3

$23.41 MX$436

84.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 A$94.8

$28.66 MX$534

132.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.5

$57.1 MX$1,063

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 A$23.45

$28.91 MX$539

-42.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.20

$5.14 MX$95.8

204.09%

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

$2,168 A$3,080

$207 MX$3,851

949.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 A$92.4

$43.35 MX$808

49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$112 A$160

$41.44 MX$772

170.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 A$137

$74.2 MX$1,383

29.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 A$142

$89.3 MX$1,664

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 A$1,920

$980 MX$18.3K

37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,606

$381 MX$7,099

196.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 A$3,424

$1,708 MX$31.8K

41.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,879

$1,075 MX$20.0K

88.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,540 A$7,872

$3,943 MX$73.5K

40.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,183 A$7,365

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-15.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,508 A$4,985

$735 MX$13.7K

377.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

11.45

-49.78%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: 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

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 66.3% $750

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 32.5% $123

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.4% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 45.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 18.9% $16

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 40.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Sunshine Coast versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

08:05 8:05 AM

15 h behind Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

149,923

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 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 AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sunshine Coast Playa del Carmen 13,900 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sunshine Coast
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

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

Yes – Sunshine Coast is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,515 per month in Sunshine Coast 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 $1,351 in Sunshine Coast.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,343 in Sunshine Coast and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 95%.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Sunshine Coast. 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 Sunshine Coast at $2,343. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sunshine Coast 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sunshine Coast makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.