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: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 120% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burnaby is 108% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$11.96 MX$203

82.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$47.38 MX$804

84.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$11.75 MX$199

-18.81%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$4.12 MX$70.0

16.75%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$1.40 MX$23.74

67.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$0.91 MX$15.48

97.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$3.21 MX$54.4

123.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$7.07 MX$120

-13.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.68 MX$28.44

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.15 MX$36.48

35.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.77 MX$30.10

103.39%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$2.82 MX$47.76

17.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$9.20 MX$156

55.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$9.23 MX$157

51.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$12.64 MX$214

100.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$2.95 MX$50.1

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.58 MX$26.79

-17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$2.22 MX$37.70

109.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$2.36 MX$40.09

94.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.99 MX$33.81

45.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.98 MX$33.58

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$1.24 MX$21.04

128.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.21 MX$20.55

79.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$4.60 MX$78.1

217.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$10.52 MX$178

30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.69 MX$28.70

24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.77 MX$47.06

-14.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$0.60 MX$10.22

310.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$29.70 MX$504

172.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$5.24 MX$88.8

-43.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$3.65 MX$61.9

-59.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$5.78 MX$98.1

365.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.54 MX$26.09

-13.64%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

23.93%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-23.75%

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

$125 CA$173

$90.7 MX$1,538

37.45%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$25.19 MX$427

75.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$31.75 MX$539

70.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$68.8 MX$1,167

-54.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$29.37 MX$498

-62.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$4.86 MX$82.5

199.38%

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

$667 CA$925

$226 MX$3,828

195.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$47.38 MX$804

12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$43.45 MX$737

20.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$80.2 MX$1,361

31.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$91.4 MX$1,550

-12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,086 MX$18.4K

55.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$409 MX$6,933

279.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$1,972 MX$33.5K

25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,281 MX$21.7K

70.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$4,046 MX$68.6K

69.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-16.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$773 MX$13.1K

308.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

11.45

-58.43%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 309% 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: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $278 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $1,305 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 309% higher in Burnaby, 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $226 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 58% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,869 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 120% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.