Cost of Living Comparison Between Burns Lake and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Burns Lake and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,302 per month in Burns Lake vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,421 per month in Burns Lake vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,539 per month in Burns Lake vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Burns Lake costs about 83% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Burns Lake sits 73% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 CA$23.47

$11.72 MX$204

42.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 CA$96.4

$41.89 MX$731

63.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 CA$15.64

$10.51 MX$183

6.09%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.37

$3.59 MX$62.5

6.69%

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

$2.07 CA$2.91

$1.51 MX$26.31

37.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.32

$0.92 MX$15.96

79.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 CA$7.98

$2.96 MX$51.6

92.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 CA$8.23

$4.41 MX$76.9

32.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$1.40 MX$24.35

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.83

$1.88 MX$32.87

45.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.09

$1.56 MX$27.19

132.05%

Eggs

$3.54 CA$4.97

$2.61 MX$45.50

35.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 CA$15.80

$8.32 MX$145

35.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 CA$16.52

$8.35 MX$146

40.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 CA$20.75

$10.86 MX$189

36.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.66

$2.71 MX$47.31

48.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.51 MX$26.25

-9.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.24

$1.87 MX$32.67

99.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.22

$2.19 MX$38.19

69.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$1.86 MX$32.40

35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.49

$2.23 MX$38.90

11.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.55

$1.07 MX$18.63

136.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.43

$1.09 MX$18.94

58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.16 CA$19.87

$4.19 MX$73.0

237.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 CA$16.38

$10.43 MX$182

11.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CA$3.97

$1.66 MX$28.91

70.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CA$4.24

$2.61 MX$45.56

15.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.37

$0.54 MX$9.45

344.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 CA$87.5

$26.16 MX$456

138.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.38

$3.08 MX$53.7

1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.11

$2.40 MX$41.94

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.73 CA$36.12

$3.13 MX$54.5

722.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.31 MX$22.87

-15.27%

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

$25.5K CA$35.7K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

-14.57%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

-10.10%

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

$145 CA$203

$81.3 MX$1,418

77.93%

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

$43.12 CA$60.5

$22.56 MX$393

91.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.0 CA$88.5

$30.05 MX$524

109.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 CA$58.4

$52.9 MX$923

-21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.23 CA$50.9

$18.39 MX$321

97.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 CA$15.86

$4.92 MX$85.8

129.67%

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

$734 CA$1,030

$201 MX$3,502

265.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K CA$16.7K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

130.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 CA$75.6

$35.92 MX$627

49.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 CA$55.7

$40.13 MX$700

-1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 CA$120

$79.7 MX$1,390

7.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$86.5 MX$1,508

25.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,810

$978 MX$17.1K

31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 CA$1,657

$470 MX$8,206

150.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,838

$1,651 MX$28.8K

22.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 CA$2,514

$1,203 MX$21.0K

48.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,727 CA$5,231

$3,953 MX$69.0K

-5.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,124 CA$4,385

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-52.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

11.42

-43.43%

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

Last update for Burns Lake: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,290 in Burns Lake versus $978 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Burns Lake versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $252 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Burns Lake costs about 83% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,453 per month in Burns Lake and $1,890 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Burns Lake, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Burns Lake and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Burns Lake at $2,302. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burns Lake it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,260 versus $2,302 in Burns Lake. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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