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 $2,315 per month in Burns Lake vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,340 per month in Burns Lake vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,365 per month in Burns Lake vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Burns Lake costs about 77% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Burns Lake sits 68% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.30 CA$25.38

$11.96 MX$203

53.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 CA$92.5

$47.38 MX$804

40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.22

$11.75 MX$199

-6.55%

Cappuccino

$3.75 CA$5.21

$4.12 MX$70.0

-8.98%

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

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.40 MX$23.74

50.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$0.91 MX$15.48

79.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 CA$7.57

$3.21 MX$54.4

70.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.89

$7.07 MX$120

-19.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CA$2.87

$1.68 MX$28.44

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.62

$2.15 MX$36.48

21.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.59

$1.77 MX$30.10

87.01%

Eggs

$3.40 CA$4.71

$2.82 MX$47.76

20.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 CA$14.29

$9.20 MX$156

11.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 CA$15.94

$9.23 MX$157

24.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 CA$20.47

$12.64 MX$214

16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.22

$2.95 MX$50.1

27.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.82

$1.58 MX$26.79

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.15

$2.22 MX$37.70

67.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.35

$2.36 MX$40.09

63.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.63

$1.99 MX$33.81

31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CA$3.15

$1.98 MX$33.58

14.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 CA$3.52

$1.24 MX$21.04

104.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.32

$1.21 MX$20.55

38.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$4.60 MX$78.1

211.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 CA$17.29

$10.52 MX$178

18.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$1.69 MX$28.70

56.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CA$4.32

$2.77 MX$47.06

12.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.34

$0.60 MX$10.22

301.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 CA$89.0

$29.70 MX$504

116.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 CA$4.22

$5.24 MX$88.8

-41.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$3.65 MX$61.9

-58.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.79 CA$33.00

$5.78 MX$98.1

311.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.54 MX$26.09

-22.73%

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

$28.2K CA$39.1K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

23.72%

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

$19.6K CA$27.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-24.20%

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

$142 CA$197

$90.7 MX$1,538

56.34%

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

$38.84 CA$53.9

$25.19 MX$427

54.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CA$77.4

$31.75 MX$539

75.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 CA$58.8

$68.8 MX$1,167

-38.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$25.40

$29.37 MX$498

-37.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 CA$15.79

$4.86 MX$82.5

134.36%

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

$764 CA$1,059

$226 MX$3,828

238.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K CA$18.9K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

224.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 CA$73.4

$47.38 MX$804

11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 CA$55.0

$43.45 MX$737

-8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 CA$118

$80.2 MX$1,361

5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$142

$91.4 MX$1,550

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 CA$1,803

$1,086 MX$18.4K

19.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,136 CA$1,576

$409 MX$6,933

178.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,960 CA$2,718

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,739 CA$2,412

$1,281 MX$21.7K

35.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,319 CA$5,990

$4,046 MX$68.6K

6.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,732 CA$5,176

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-44.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

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 Burns Lake: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,300 in Burns Lake versus $1,086 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 $67.0 in Burns Lake versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $278 – 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 77% 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 $3,472 per month in Burns Lake and $1,958 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 27% 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 $67.0 in Burns Lake and $47.00 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 $1,305, than in Burns Lake at $2,315. 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 $1,305 versus $2,315 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.