Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,527 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,527

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cambridge and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cambridge and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,527 in Cambridge versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Cambridge $2,527
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,443 in Cambridge versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Cambridge $3,443
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cambridge versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Cambridge $4,359
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Cambridge is roughly 110% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 86% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 CA$24.72

$10.92 MX$205

62.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 CA$79.2

$43.37 MX$813

30.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 CA$14.74

$11.78 MX$221

-10.44%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.97

$3.81 MX$71.4

-6.56%

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

$1.99 CA$2.78

$1.28 MX$24.03

55.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$0.78 MX$14.67

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 CA$7.26

$3.17 MX$59.3

63.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CA$8.75

$4.93 MX$92.5

26.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CA$2.79

$1.41 MX$26.35

41.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$2.22 MX$41.54

8.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 CA$4.47

$1.42 MX$26.56

124.65%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.64

$2.52 MX$47.27

31.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.71

$7.26 MX$136

54.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.90

$7.70 MX$144

47.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 CA$20.17

$12.69 MX$238

13.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.68

$2.78 MX$52.2

46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.37 MX$25.64

-2.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.65

$2.55 MX$47.80

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.22

$2.12 MX$39.78

76.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 CA$3.85

$1.94 MX$36.32

42.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$1.89 MX$35.34

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 CA$2.80

$1.15 MX$21.49

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$1.18 MX$22.09

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.93 CA$18.08

$4.30 MX$80.5

200.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.40 CA$17.34

$9.95 MX$186

24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.67

$1.58 MX$29.67

66.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$2.67 MX$50.1

51.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 CA$3.92

$0.55 MX$10.37

409.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 CA$97.1

$26.62 MX$499

160.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 CA$3.58

$4.97 MX$93.1

-48.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 CA$2.51

$3.33 MX$62.4

-45.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.32 CA$32.60

$5.36 MX$100

335.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.44 MX$27.06

-15.28%

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

$26.5K CA$37.0K

$20.7K MX$387.3K

28.23%

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

$20.7K CA$28.9K

$23.5K MX$439.7K

-11.86%

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

$152 CA$213

$84.8 MX$1,589

79.69%

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

$42.51 CA$59.4

$23.41 MX$439

81.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 CA$70.6

$28.66 MX$537

76.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.64 CA$40.03

$57.1 MX$1,069

-49.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 CA$15.01

$5.14 MX$96.3

108.95%

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

$497 CA$695

$207 MX$3,871

140.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.1K

$3,927 MX$73.6K

303.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 CA$88.7

$43.35 MX$812

46.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.07 CA$46.22

$41.44 MX$777

-20.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 CA$115

$74.2 MX$1,390

10.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$89.3 MX$1,672

18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 CA$2,137

$980 MX$18.4K

56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 CA$1,949

$381 MX$7,136

266.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 CA$2,876

$1,708 MX$32.0K

20.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 CA$2,614

$1,075 MX$20.1K

73.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,450 CA$6,220

$3,943 MX$73.9K

12.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 CA$5,147

$6,158 MX$115.4K

-40.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,028 CA$4,232

$735 MX$13.8K

312.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.22

11.45

-54.41%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.4K 55.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 72.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$349 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 27% $94

Eating Out

Cambridge

$267 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 24.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$245 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 44.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$128 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 12.7% $16

Getting Around

Cambridge

$92 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 45.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$50 2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 34.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,529 in Cambridge and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $57 in Cambridge vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

Same time as Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,479

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cambridge Playa del Carmen 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 52% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cambridge is about 4.1 times higher, 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: $1,529 in Cambridge versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $43 versus $57 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,527 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.

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 52% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.