Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrie and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Barrie versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Barrie versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,800 in Barrie versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Barrie is roughly 107% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barrie is 99% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.58 CA$19.97

$11.94 MX$209

22.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$100

$42.75 MX$748

71.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 CA$14.09

$10.59 MX$185

-2.93%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.74

$3.62 MX$63.4

-4.42%

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

$1.88 CA$2.58

$1.47 MX$25.69

27.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CA$1.61

$0.94 MX$16.51

24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.72

$3.09 MX$54.1

106.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 CA$8.31

$4.46 MX$78.0

36.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 CA$3.73

$1.43 MX$24.94

90.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 CA$4.04

$1.88 MX$32.97

56.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.46

$1.63 MX$28.50

144.79%

Eggs

$3.06 CA$4.19

$2.64 MX$46.26

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 CA$12.00

$8.21 MX$144

6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.00

$8.29 MX$145

76.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.62 CA$33.73

$11.10 MX$194

121.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.11

$2.65 MX$46.40

40.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.74

$1.50 MX$26.26

-15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.17

$1.99 MX$34.79

53.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 CA$7.05

$2.08 MX$36.33

147.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.40

$1.79 MX$31.29

-2.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.16

$2.18 MX$38.09

72.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 CA$3.86

$1.08 MX$18.84

161.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 CA$2.31

$1.04 MX$18.15

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 CA$15.93

$3.97 MX$69.5

192.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.79 CA$14.78

$10.20 MX$179

5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.31

$1.73 MX$30.22

39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.15

$2.50 MX$43.71

-8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.49

$0.52 MX$9.07

390.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 CA$91.1

$26.97 MX$472

146.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$3.96

$3.14 MX$55.0

-7.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 CA$2.81

$2.40 MX$42.04

-14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.21 CA$35.90

$3.09 MX$54.0

748.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.56

$1.27 MX$22.28

-10.24%

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

$24.9K CA$34.1K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-19.50%

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

$20.2K CA$27.7K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-13.39%

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

$194 CA$266

$82.0 MX$1,435

136.41%

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

$42.42 CA$58.1

$22.45 MX$393

88.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 CA$105

$29.66 MX$519

158.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.11 CA$49.48

$51.9 MX$908

-30.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.65 CA$50.2

$18.67 MX$327

96.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 CA$18.34

$4.97 MX$87.0

169.22%

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

$1,500 CA$2,055

$198 MX$3,462

658.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.1K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

122.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 CA$97.9

$36.34 MX$636

96.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 CA$77.4

$40.05 MX$701

41.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CA$201

$79.9 MX$1,398

83.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$155

$88.9 MX$1,555

27.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 CA$1,939

$963 MX$16.9K

46.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,789

$465 MX$8,133

181.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 CA$3,023

$1,596 MX$27.9K

38.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 CA$2,522

$1,209 MX$21.2K

52.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,184 CA$7,102

$3,942 MX$69.0K

31.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,476 CA$6,132

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-30.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,181 CA$4,358

$720 MX$12.6K

341.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.42

-41.94%

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

Last update for Barrie: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,415 in Barrie and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 342% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73.0 in Barrie vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Barrie and Playa del Carmen differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,663 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barrie pays 342% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,415 in Barrie versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 147% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,500 in Barrie versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,663 in Barrie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Barrie. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.