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: $2,462 in Cambridge versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Cambridge versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Cambridge versus $3,017 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 84% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 CA$20.85

$11.99 MX$209

23.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 CA$91.7

$41.78 MX$728

56.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 CA$14.07

$10.75 MX$187

-6.98%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.18

$3.50 MX$60.9

5.14%

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

$2.21 CA$3.11

$1.45 MX$25.22

52.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$0.88 MX$15.41

82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$2.95 MX$51.3

97.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 CA$9.22

$4.51 MX$78.6

45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.43 MX$24.94

55.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.84 MX$31.99

22.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.21

$1.57 MX$27.31

90.45%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.51 MX$43.74

27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 CA$12.20

$8.28 MX$144

4.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.81

$8.43 MX$147

41.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 CA$19.35

$10.68 MX$186

28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$2.61 MX$45.43

52.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.44 MX$25.04

-15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.18

$1.96 MX$34.16

87.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.51

$2.09 MX$36.47

87.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.84

$1.85 MX$32.24

47.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$2.17 MX$37.74

13.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.03 MX$17.96

117.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$1.07 MX$18.70

46.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 CA$18.85

$4.10 MX$71.4

226.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 CA$17.24

$10.17 MX$177

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.44

$1.68 MX$29.17

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$2.53 MX$43.98

24.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$0.51 MX$8.87

401.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 CA$93.7

$26.04 MX$453

155.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$3.23 MX$56.3

-19.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$2.41 MX$41.88

-29.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 CA$33.54

$3.23 MX$56.2

638.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.32 MX$23.00

-15.91%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-14.47%

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

$20.3K CA$28.5K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-14.28%

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

$151 CA$212

$82.0 MX$1,428

83.95%

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

$39.94 CA$56.2

$22.95 MX$400

74.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$76.1

$30.11 MX$524

79.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.81 CA$41.94

$52.0 MX$905

-42.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$16.26

$4.98 MX$86.6

131.93%

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

$556 CA$782

$197 MX$3,438

181.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

95.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$78.0

$35.60 MX$620

55.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 CA$48.80

$40.33 MX$702

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 CA$99.4

$78.8 MX$1,371

-10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$88.9 MX$1,549

23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,984

$947 MX$16.5K

48.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 CA$1,938

$474 MX$8,254

190.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,684 CA$3,776

$1,644 MX$28.6K

63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 CA$2,993

$1,211 MX$21.1K

75.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,165 CA$5,861

$4,056 MX$70.6K

2.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,848 CA$5,414

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-40.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,007 CA$4,231

$654 MX$11.4K

359.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.42

-41.86%

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

Last update for Cambridge: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,410 in Cambridge and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 360% 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: $65.0 in Cambridge vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $249 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 360% 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: $1,410 in Cambridge versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% 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 $42.00 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,462 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.