Cost of Living Comparison Between Campbell River and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Campbell River and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,652 in Campbell River versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,823 in Campbell River versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Campbell River versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Campbell River is roughly 111% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Campbell River is 99% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 CA$25.50

$11.99 MX$209

51.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 CA$103

$41.78 MX$728

75.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 CA$15.65

$10.75 MX$187

3.44%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.68

$3.50 MX$60.9

15.14%

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

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.45 MX$25.22

64.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$0.88 MX$15.41

26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.06

$2.95 MX$51.3

70.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 CA$8.57

$4.51 MX$78.6

35.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 CA$4.37

$1.43 MX$24.94

116.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$1.84 MX$31.99

72.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.09 CA$7.16

$1.57 MX$27.31

224.20%

Eggs

$4.50 CA$6.33

$2.51 MX$43.74

79.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 CA$11.75

$8.28 MX$144

0.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 CA$14.27

$8.43 MX$147

20.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 CA$21.53

$10.68 MX$186

43.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 CA$4.55

$2.61 MX$45.43

23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 CA$2.24

$1.44 MX$25.04

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.23

$1.96 MX$34.16

89.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 CA$5.09

$2.09 MX$36.47

72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.49

$1.85 MX$32.24

110.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.22

$2.17 MX$37.74

38.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 CA$3.91

$1.03 MX$17.96

169.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$1.07 MX$18.70

145.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 CA$21.74

$4.10 MX$71.4

276.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.54 CA$24.67

$10.17 MX$177

72.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.81 CA$5.36

$1.68 MX$29.17

126.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 CA$6.31

$2.53 MX$43.98

77.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$0.51 MX$8.87

182.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 CA$88.6

$26.04 MX$453

141.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$3.23 MX$56.3

-13.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$2.41 MX$41.88

-42.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.90 CA$46.30

$3.23 MX$56.2

918.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.32 MX$23.00

1.52%

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

$25.1K CA$35.4K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-15.35%

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

$21.2K CA$29.9K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

-10.32%

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

$55.7 CA$78.3

$82.0 MX$1,428

-32.14%

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

$53.2 CA$74.8

$22.95 MX$400

131.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.9 CA$101

$30.11 MX$524

138.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.74 CA$68.6

$52.0 MX$905

-6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 CA$15.63

$4.98 MX$86.6

123.09%

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

$646 CA$909

$197 MX$3,438

227.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K CA$20.1K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

167.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 CA$63.3

$35.60 MX$620

26.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.24 CA$62.3

$40.33 MX$702

9.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 CA$106

$78.8 MX$1,371

-4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 CA$132

$88.9 MX$1,549

5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 CA$2,254

$947 MX$16.5K

69.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 CA$2,108

$474 MX$8,254

216.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 CA$3,547

$1,644 MX$28.6K

53.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 CA$3,232

$1,211 MX$21.1K

89.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,277 CA$3,204

$654 MX$11.4K

248.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

11.42

-44.13%

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

Last update for Campbell River: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Campbell River and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Campbell River pays 248% 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: $74.0 in Campbell River vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 111% 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 runs 248% higher in Campbell River, 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: $1,602 in Campbell River versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 142% less than in Campbell River. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $646 in Campbell River versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,652 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 work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Campbell River. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.