Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yamba NSW and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,331 in Yamba NSW, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Yamba NSW
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Yamba NSW Living Index
58

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

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Yamba NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,331

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,331 per month in Yamba NSW vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Yamba NSW $2,331
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in Yamba NSW vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Yamba NSW $3,399
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,466 per month in Yamba NSW vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Yamba NSW $4,466
Playa del Carmen $2,959

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

Yamba NSW sits 71% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 A$25.36

$10.92 MX$204

63.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 A$72.3

$43.37 MX$808

17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 A$15.78

$11.78 MX$220

-5.69%

Cappuccino

$4.52 A$6.42

$3.81 MX$71.0

18.64%

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

$2.44 A$3.47

$1.28 MX$23.90

90.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$0.78 MX$14.59

162.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 A$11.22

$3.17 MX$59.0

149.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.89

$4.93 MX$92.0

41.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.41 MX$26.22

14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.80

$2.22 MX$41.33

20.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 A$3.20

$1.42 MX$26.42

58.45%

Eggs

$4.90 A$6.96

$2.52 MX$47.03

94.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 A$13.14

$7.26 MX$135

27.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.93

$7.70 MX$143

18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.23 A$20.22

$12.69 MX$237

12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.16

$2.78 MX$51.9

56.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.51

$1.37 MX$25.50

131.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.29

$2.55 MX$47.55

18.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.84

$2.12 MX$39.58

127.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.08

$1.94 MX$36.13

47.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.33

$1.89 MX$35.16

23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.31

$1.15 MX$21.37

102.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 A$1.76

$1.18 MX$21.98

5.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.44 A$54.6

$4.30 MX$80.1

793.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$17.99

$9.95 MX$185

27.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.30 A$7.52

$1.58 MX$29.52

235.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.99

$2.67 MX$49.79

84.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 A$3.89

$0.55 MX$10.31

398.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.1 A$104

$26.62 MX$496

174.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 A$4.39

$4.97 MX$92.6

-37.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 A$2.66

$3.33 MX$62.1

-43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.70 A$59.3

$5.36 MX$99.8

677.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 A$2.00

$1.44 MX$26.92

-2.08%

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

$29.8K A$42.4K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

44.24%

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

$25.5K A$36.3K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

8.74%

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

$162 A$231

$84.8 MX$1,581

91.61%

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

$26.59 A$37.79

$23.41 MX$436

13.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$85.7

$28.66 MX$534

110.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 A$82.4

$57.1 MX$1,063

1.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.49 A$27.70

$28.91 MX$539

-32.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 A$20.27

$5.14 MX$95.8

177.63%

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

$1,974 A$2,805

$207 MX$3,851

855.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K A$18.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

226.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.8 A$121

$43.35 MX$808

95.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.72 A$63.6

$41.44 MX$772

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$74.2 MX$1,383

49.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$89.3 MX$1,664

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 A$2,023

$980 MX$18.3K

45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,529

$381 MX$7,099

182.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 A$2,895

$1,708 MX$31.8K

19.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 A$2,507

$1,075 MX$20.0K

64.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,125 A$7,282

$3,943 MX$73.5K

29.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,432 A$7,718

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-11.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

11.45

-49.26%

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

Last update for Yamba NSW: 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

Yamba NSW

$1.1K 46.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 64.6% $695

Groceries & Markets

Yamba NSW

$363 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 29.9% $109

Eating Out

Yamba NSW

$302 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yamba NSW

$249 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 45.1% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Yamba NSW

$158 6.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29.2% $46

Getting Around

Yamba NSW

$97 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 47.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Yamba NSW

$87 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 22.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,424 in Yamba NSW 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Yamba NSW versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Yamba NSW

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

16 h behind Yamba NSW

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,913

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 29, 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 29, 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

Yamba NSW Playa del Carmen 13,910 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Yamba NSW
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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,497 per month in Yamba NSW 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 $1,424 in Yamba NSW.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,331 in Yamba NSW and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 64% 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 Yamba NSW at $2,331. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yamba NSW 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 48% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.