Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge Bay and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge Bay and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Cambridge Bay versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,422 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Cambridge Bay versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cambridge Bay is roughly 88% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge Bay is 78% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.67 CA$33.06

$11.87 MX$204

99.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$98.9

$42.90 MX$736

65.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.13

$10.65 MX$183

1.69%

Cappuccino

$3.82 CA$5.33

$3.45 MX$59.2

10.72%

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

$2.03 CA$2.83

$1.50 MX$25.81

35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.37

$0.95 MX$16.28

78.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.74

$3.03 MX$51.9

82.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.25

$4.61 MX$79.1

28.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.38 MX$23.61

59.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 CA$3.80

$1.85 MX$31.70

47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.00

$1.61 MX$27.65

122.36%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$4.97

$2.59 MX$44.51

37.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 CA$15.46

$8.26 MX$142

34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.20

$8.37 MX$144

38.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 CA$20.88

$10.66 MX$183

40.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$2.63 MX$45.12

53.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.06

$1.92 MX$32.94

88.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.27

$2.09 MX$35.81

80.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.34

$1.86 MX$31.88

28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.55

$2.26 MX$38.81

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$1.06 MX$18.23

146.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.46

$1.09 MX$18.67

61.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.01 CA$19.57

$4.15 MX$71.2

237.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 CA$17.47

$10.39 MX$178

20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 CA$3.95

$1.72 MX$29.59

64.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.25

$2.61 MX$44.85

16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.23

$0.54 MX$9.30

327.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 CA$87.9

$26.94 MX$462

133.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 CA$4.33

$3.13 MX$53.7

-0.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$2.51 MX$43.09

-41.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 CA$35.46

$3.15 MX$54.1

706.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.27 MX$21.88

-12.60%

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

$24.8K CA$34.7K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-18.24%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-12.28%

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

$145 CA$202

$83.0 MX$1,425

74.42%

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

$44.16 CA$61.7

$22.71 MX$390

94.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 CA$85.7

$29.46 MX$506

108.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.79 CA$58.4

$51.0 MX$875

-18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.66

$4.93 MX$84.5

127.38%

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

$728 CA$1,017

$197 MX$3,386

269.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K CA$16.1K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

118.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.9 CA$76.7

$36.90 MX$633

48.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.02 CA$54.5

$39.89 MX$685

-2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 CA$118

$80.0 MX$1,373

6.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$150

$89.5 MX$1,536

19.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 CA$1,818

$956 MX$16.4K

36.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,631

$477 MX$8,189

144.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,030 CA$2,835

$1,646 MX$28.3K

23.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,842 CA$2,573

$1,225 MX$21.0K

50.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,048 CA$5,653

$3,918 MX$67.2K

3.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,771 CA$5,266

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-41.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Cambridge Bay: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,302 in Cambridge Bay and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Cambridge Bay vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $250 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

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

Cambridge Bay and Playa del Carmen differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($2,388 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,582 in Cambridge Bay and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,302 in Cambridge Bay versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,388 per month in Cambridge Bay versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 134% less than in Cambridge Bay. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,388 in Cambridge Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cambridge Bay. 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 88% less than in Cambridge Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.