Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst, Canada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,757 in Bathurst, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index
58

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

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Bathurst

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,757

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,757 per month in Bathurst vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bathurst $1,757
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Bathurst vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bathurst $2,044
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,332 per month in Bathurst vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bathurst $2,332
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Bathurst costs about 46% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Bathurst sits 29% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.96 CA$22.32

$10.92 MX$203

46.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.54 CA$60.9

$43.37 MX$805

0.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 CA$16.40

$11.78 MX$219

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.86

$3.81 MX$70.7

-8.66%

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

$2.01 CA$2.82

$1.28 MX$23.81

57.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$0.78 MX$14.54

103.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 CA$6.94

$3.17 MX$58.8

56.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 CA$7.10

$4.93 MX$91.7

3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 CA$2.40

$1.41 MX$26.12

21.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$2.22 MX$41.17

14.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$1.42 MX$26.32

77.46%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$4.98

$2.52 MX$46.85

41.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.80

$7.26 MX$135

55.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 CA$12.78

$7.70 MX$143

18.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.35 CA$8.88

$12.69 MX$236

-49.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 CA$6.52

$2.78 MX$51.7

67.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.37 MX$25.41

16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.78 CA$6.69

$2.55 MX$47.37

87.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.67

$2.12 MX$39.43

-9.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 CA$3.51

$1.94 MX$36.00

29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.89 MX$35.02

-17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$1.15 MX$21.29

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.18 MX$21.89

33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.79 CA$13.69

$4.30 MX$79.8

127.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.93 CA$16.68

$9.95 MX$185

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 CA$4.46

$1.58 MX$29.41

101.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 CA$6.22

$2.67 MX$49.60

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 CA$4.85

$0.55 MX$10.28

530.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 CA$91.3

$26.62 MX$494

145.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 CA$3.87

$4.97 MX$92.3

-44.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$3.33 MX$61.9

-60.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 CA$30.53

$5.36 MX$99.5

307.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.44 MX$26.82

-13.89%

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

$28.8K CA$40.3K

$20.7K MX$383.8K

39.38%

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

$21.5K CA$30.1K

$23.5K MX$435.8K

-8.31%

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

$104 CA$146

$84.8 MX$1,575

23.05%

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

$70.1 CA$98.0

$23.41 MX$435

199.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 CA$85.1

$28.66 MX$532

112.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.27 CA$61.9

$57.1 MX$1,059

-22.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.39 CA$45.30

$28.91 MX$537

12.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 CA$12.79

$5.14 MX$95.4

77.82%

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

$582 CA$814

$207 MX$3,836

181.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,741 CA$2,435

$3,927 MX$72.9K

-55.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 CA$70.6

$43.35 MX$805

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 CA$55.8

$41.44 MX$770

-3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CA$108

$74.2 MX$1,378

4.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 CA$114

$89.3 MX$1,657

-8.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 CA$1,048

$980 MX$18.2K

-23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 CA$966

$381 MX$7,072

81.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,083 CA$2,913

$735 MX$13.6K

183.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

11.45

-58.34%

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

Last update for Bathurst: 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

Bathurst

$690 39.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 44.8% $310

Groceries & Markets

Bathurst

$314 17.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 18.9% $59

Eating Out

Bathurst

$254 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 20.3% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bathurst

$235 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 41.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Bathurst

$112 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Bathurst

$89 5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 43.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Bathurst

$63 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 7.6% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $749 in Bathurst 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 Bathurst are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Bathurst versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Bathurst

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:28 12:28 AM

23:28 11:28 PM

1 h behind Bathurst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,157

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bathurst Playa del Carmen 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bathurst
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

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

Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,636 per month in Bathurst 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 Bathurst, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Bathurst, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Bathurst at $1,757. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,757 in Bathurst. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bathurst makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.