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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,479 in Cambridge versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Cambridge versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Cambridge versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 96% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 81% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.18 CA$25.43

$11.60 MX$199

56.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 CA$79.5

$47.11 MX$809

20.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 CA$14.30

$11.88 MX$204

-13.97%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.86

$3.98 MX$68.2

-12.81%

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

$2.07 CA$2.89

$1.43 MX$24.49

44.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$0.82 MX$14.16

70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 CA$7.14

$3.19 MX$54.7

59.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 CA$8.57

$6.79 MX$117

-9.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$1.68 MX$28.76

27.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 CA$3.48

$2.20 MX$37.71

13.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$1.71 MX$29.32

54.39%

Eggs

$3.25 CA$4.55

$2.74 MX$47.05

18.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 CA$15.76

$9.58 MX$164

17.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.28

$9.01 MX$155

29.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.96

$12.81 MX$220

11.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.32

$2.89 MX$49.58

31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.50 MX$25.70

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.94

$2.15 MX$36.87

97.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.45

$2.26 MX$38.79

72.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.23

$1.98 MX$34.00

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.71

$1.99 MX$34.15

-3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$1.23 MX$21.18

73.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$1.20 MX$20.54

12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 CA$18.48

$4.55 MX$78.1

190.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.88

$10.37 MX$178

23.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.55

$1.62 MX$27.79

56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.58

$2.88 MX$49.44

13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$0.60 MX$10.30

328.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 CA$92.7

$28.80 MX$494

130.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$5.39 MX$92.5

-54.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 CA$2.50

$3.73 MX$64.0

-52.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 CA$32.84

$5.77 MX$99.0

306.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.54 MX$26.37

-22.08%

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

$26.5K CA$37.1K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

17.65%

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

$19.3K CA$27.0K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-25.85%

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

$154 CA$215

$91.4 MX$1,569

68.26%

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

$42.87 CA$60.0

$25.20 MX$433

70.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.2

$31.24 MX$536

60.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.22 CA$40.88

$67.2 MX$1,154

-56.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 CA$14.57

$4.86 MX$83.5

114.20%

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

$542 CA$758

$224 MX$3,839

142.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.7K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

283.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 CA$77.8

$47.10 MX$808

18.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.66 CA$44.30

$44.29 MX$760

-28.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 CA$93.0

$80.1 MX$1,375

-17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$92.7 MX$1,591

14.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 CA$1,906

$1,063 MX$18.2K

28.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 CA$1,904

$390 MX$6,698

248.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 CA$3,616

$2,149 MX$36.9K

20.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 CA$2,836

$1,272 MX$21.8K

59.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,364 CA$6,105

$4,001 MX$68.7K

9.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 CA$5,453

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-40.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,082 CA$4,312

$758 MX$13.0K

306.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

11.45

-55.55%

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

Last update for Cambridge: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,362 in Cambridge and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 306% 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: $57.0 in Cambridge vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $276 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 vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 306% higher in Cambridge, 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: $1,362 in Cambridge versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $57.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,479 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.