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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 114% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 107% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$11.73 MX$203

25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$41.62 MX$721

77.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$10.64 MX$184

-15.88%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.52 MX$61.0

19.03%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.51 MX$26.17

19.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$0.97 MX$16.87

37.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$2.95 MX$51.1

100.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$4.45 MX$77.2

24.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.38 MX$23.97

84.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$1.89 MX$32.78

46.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$1.64 MX$28.37

173.17%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$2.51 MX$43.42

24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$8.34 MX$145

47.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$8.34 MX$145

43.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$10.73 MX$186

101.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$2.60 MX$45.12

28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.46 MX$25.25

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.90 MX$32.94

57.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$2.08 MX$35.98

84.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$1.78 MX$30.77

62.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.19 MX$37.87

36.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$1.04 MX$18.02

129.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.08 MX$18.66

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$4.08 MX$70.7

263.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$10.32 MX$179

28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.71 MX$29.67

40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$2.58 MX$44.63

-2.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$0.51 MX$8.83

347.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$26.46 MX$459

191.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$3.26 MX$56.5

-14.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$2.49 MX$43.17

-42.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$3.25 MX$56.3

679.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.31 MX$22.65

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-16.31%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

-12.80%

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

$136 CA$188

$82.9 MX$1,436

63.59%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$22.22 MX$385

91.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$29.34 MX$508

89.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$51.6 MX$895

-39.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$18.32 MX$317

-69.38%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$5.07 MX$87.8

221.30%

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

$547 CA$760

$201 MX$3,480

172.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

55.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$36.92 MX$640

48.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$39.79 MX$689

34.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$78.5 MX$1,360

19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$87.1 MX$1,509

10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$973 MX$16.9K

96.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$468 MX$8,105

254.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$1,641 MX$28.4K

143.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,221 MX$21.2K

117.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$3,946 MX$68.4K

74.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-14.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$664 MX$11.5K

393.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.42

-42.73%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 393% 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 Burnaby vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $249 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

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

Burnaby and Playa del Carmen differ by about 114% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Burnaby pays 393% 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: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 114% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.