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: $2,585 in Barrie versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,673 in Barrie versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Barrie versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Barrie is roughly 105% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barrie is 94% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 CA$20.71

$11.72 MX$203

26.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 CA$104

$41.89 MX$725

77.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 CA$14.40

$10.51 MX$182

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$3.42 CA$4.79

$3.59 MX$62.0

-4.74%

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

$1.80 CA$2.52

$1.51 MX$26.10

19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$0.92 MX$15.83

20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.83

$2.96 MX$51.2

112.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 CA$8.01

$4.41 MX$76.3

29.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.73 CA$3.83

$1.40 MX$24.16

95.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.09

$1.88 MX$32.60

55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.52

$1.56 MX$26.97

152.56%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.26

$2.61 MX$45.14

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CA$12.44

$8.32 MX$144

6.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 CA$20.31

$8.35 MX$145

73.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.25 CA$35.38

$10.86 MX$188

132.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.21

$2.71 MX$46.93

37.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.51 MX$26.04

-11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$1.87 MX$32.41

55.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 CA$7.26

$2.19 MX$37.89

136.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 CA$2.44

$1.86 MX$32.14

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.33

$2.23 MX$38.59

70.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.97

$1.07 MX$18.48

164.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.35

$1.09 MX$18.79

53.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.76 CA$16.48

$4.19 MX$72.4

180.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 CA$14.22

$10.43 MX$180

-2.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.40

$1.66 MX$28.68

46.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$2.61 MX$45.19

-11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$0.54 MX$9.37

390.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 CA$94.3

$26.16 MX$453

157.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$3.08 MX$53.3

-7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 CA$2.93

$2.40 MX$41.61

-12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.95 CA$36.37

$3.13 MX$54.1

729.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.31 MX$22.69

-12.98%

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

$24.7K CA$34.7K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-17.02%

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

$20.4K CA$28.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-12.32%

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

$196 CA$275

$81.3 MX$1,406

141.29%

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

$42.36 CA$59.4

$22.56 MX$390

87.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 CA$107

$30.05 MX$520

153.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 CA$50.9

$52.9 MX$915

-31.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.57 CA$51.2

$18.39 MX$318

98.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.45 CA$18.85

$4.92 MX$85.1

173.37%

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

$1,473 CA$2,065

$201 MX$3,474

633.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K CA$16.4K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

125.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 CA$98.2

$35.92 MX$622

95.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 CA$79.0

$40.13 MX$694

40.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 CA$199

$79.7 MX$1,379

78.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$86.5 MX$1,496

32.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 CA$1,980

$978 MX$16.9K

44.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 CA$1,812

$470 MX$8,140

174.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 CA$3,035

$1,651 MX$28.6K

31.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 CA$2,569

$1,203 MX$20.8K

52.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,015 CA$7,028

$3,953 MX$68.4K

26.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,205 CA$5,892

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-36.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,045 CA$4,267

$677 MX$11.7K

350.00%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,413 in Barrie and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 350% 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: $74.0 in Barrie vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $252 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 105% in total monthly costs ($2,585 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 350% higher in Barrie, 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: $1,413 in Barrie versus $978 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 157% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,473 in Barrie versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,585 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 105% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.