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: $2,544 in Barrie versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,542 in Barrie versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in Barrie versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Barrie is roughly 101% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barrie is 86% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.68 CA$20.53

$11.60 MX$200

26.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.0 CA$79.7

$47.11 MX$812

20.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 CA$15.88

$11.88 MX$205

-4.46%

Cappuccino

$3.74 CA$5.23

$3.98 MX$68.6

-6.03%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.43 MX$24.60

35.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$0.82 MX$14.22

75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 CA$7.21

$3.19 MX$55.0

61.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$7.87

$6.79 MX$117

-17.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.93

$1.68 MX$28.89

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.61

$2.20 MX$37.88

17.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.76

$1.71 MX$29.45

57.31%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.38

$2.74 MX$47.26

14.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 CA$14.13

$9.58 MX$165

5.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.64 CA$20.48

$9.01 MX$155

62.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 CA$31.89

$12.81 MX$221

77.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.64

$2.89 MX$49.81

39.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.67

$1.50 MX$25.81

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$2.15 MX$37.03

48.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.65

$2.26 MX$38.96

78.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$1.98 MX$34.15

-43.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$1.99 MX$34.30

-31.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.11

$1.23 MX$21.28

80.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.41

$1.20 MX$20.63

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 CA$16.23

$4.55 MX$78.5

154.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 CA$14.38

$10.37 MX$179

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.50

$1.62 MX$27.91

54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.88 MX$49.67

-23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CA$3.49

$0.60 MX$10.35

315.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 CA$90.6

$28.80 MX$497

124.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.00

$5.39 MX$92.9

-33.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 CA$1.53

$3.73 MX$64.3

-70.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.51

$1.54 MX$26.48

-29.87%

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

$29.0K CA$40.6K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

28.77%

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

$21.4K CA$29.9K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-18.02%

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

$236 CA$330

$91.4 MX$1,576

157.97%

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

$36.33 CA$50.8

$25.20 MX$435

44.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 CA$110

$31.24 MX$539

151.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 CA$57.6

$67.2 MX$1,159

-38.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.41 CA$49.53

$29.11 MX$502

21.64%

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 CA$18.03

$4.86 MX$83.8

165.23%

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

$1,456 CA$2,037

$224 MX$3,856

551.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 CA$89.4

$47.10 MX$812

35.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.65 CA$63.9

$44.29 MX$764

3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CA$211

$80.1 MX$1,381

88.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 CA$119

$92.7 MX$1,598

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 CA$2,039

$1,063 MX$18.3K

37.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,798

$390 MX$6,728

229.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,092 CA$2,926

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-2.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,771 CA$2,478

$1,272 MX$21.9K

39.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,084 CA$7,112

$4,001 MX$69.0K

27.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,301 CA$6,017

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-33.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,093 CA$4,326

$758 MX$13.1K

307.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.45

-59.13%

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

Last update for Barrie: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,458 in Barrie and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrie pays 308% 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: $57.0 in Barrie vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $276 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,544 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 308% 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: $1,458 in Barrie versus $1,063 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 125% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,456 in Barrie versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,544 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 101% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.