Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Campbell River and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,387 in Campbell River, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Campbell River
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Campbell River Living Index
58

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

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Campbell River

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,387

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Campbell River 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 Campbell River and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,387 in Campbell River versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Campbell River $2,387
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Campbell River versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Campbell River $3,509
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Campbell River versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Campbell River $4,631
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Campbell River is roughly 98% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Campbell River is 75% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 CA$27.23

$10.92 MX$205

78.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 CA$101

$43.37 MX$814

66.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 CA$15.08

$11.78 MX$221

-8.40%

Cappuccino

$4.37 CA$6.11

$3.81 MX$71.5

14.70%

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

$2.30 CA$3.21

$1.28 MX$24.07

79.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 CA$1.35

$0.78 MX$14.70

24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$8.03

$3.17 MX$59.5

81.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.30 CA$8.80

$4.93 MX$92.7

27.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.79 CA$3.90

$1.41 MX$26.40

97.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.98 CA$4.16

$2.22 MX$41.62

34.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.68

$1.42 MX$26.61

186.62%

Eggs

$4.30 CA$6.01

$2.52 MX$47.36

70.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 CA$11.67

$7.26 MX$136

15.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 CA$13.62

$7.70 MX$144

26.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 CA$20.46

$12.69 MX$238

15.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.37

$2.78 MX$52.3

12.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.37 MX$25.68

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.84

$2.55 MX$47.89

36.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.96

$2.12 MX$39.86

67.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.01

$1.94 MX$36.39

85.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 CA$3.91

$1.89 MX$35.41

48.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.25 CA$4.54

$1.15 MX$21.53

182.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$1.18 MX$22.13

117.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.12 CA$21.13

$4.30 MX$80.6

251.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.18 CA$25.41

$9.95 MX$187

82.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 CA$5.58

$1.58 MX$29.73

153.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 CA$4.95

$2.67 MX$50.1

32.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 CA$1.94

$0.55 MX$10.39

152.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.80

$4.97 MX$93.3

-45.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.20

$3.33 MX$62.5

-52.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.74 CA$48.54

$5.36 MX$101

548.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.80

$1.44 MX$27.11

-10.42%

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

$28.2K CA$39.4K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

36.28%

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

$21.4K CA$29.9K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-8.78%

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

$53.2 CA$74.4

$84.8 MX$1,592

-37.23%

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

$43.75 CA$61.1

$23.41 MX$439

86.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 CA$85.6

$28.66 MX$538

113.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.64 CA$65.2

$57.1 MX$1,071

-18.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$10.72 CA$14.97

$5.14 MX$96.5

108.56%

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

$890 CA$1,244

$207 MX$3,878

330.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K CA$33.1K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

503.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.31 CA$61.9

$43.35 MX$814

2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 CA$61.8

$41.44 MX$778

6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 CA$99.3

$74.2 MX$1,393

-4.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 CA$129

$89.3 MX$1,676

3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 CA$2,071

$980 MX$18.4K

51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 CA$1,883

$381 MX$7,150

253.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,236 CA$3,124

$1,708 MX$32.1K

30.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 CA$3,044

$1,075 MX$20.2K

102.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 CA$3,232

$735 MX$13.8K

214.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.31

11.45

-62.36%

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

Last update for Campbell River: October 27, 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

Campbell River

$1.3K 56.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 71.7% $967

Groceries & Markets

Campbell River

$389 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 34.4% $134

Eating Out

Campbell River

$295 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 31.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Campbell River

$158 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 13.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Campbell River

$113 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 1.4% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Campbell River

$68 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 1.1% $0.8

Getting Around

Campbell River

$16 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 213% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,482 in Campbell River and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Campbell River pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Campbell River vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Campbell River

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

10:08 10:08 AM

2 h ahead of Campbell River

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,455

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Campbell River Playa del Carmen 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Campbell River
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

Campbell River vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Campbell River. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Campbell River is about 3.1 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: $1,482 in Campbell River 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 53% higher in Campbell River. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,387 per month in Campbell River versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,387 in Campbell River, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Campbell River. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Campbell River on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.