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: $2,420 in Campbell River versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,529 in Campbell River versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,637 in Campbell River versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Campbell River is roughly 91% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Campbell River is 77% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.04 CA$25.07

$11.60 MX$199

55.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.7 CA$99.6

$47.11 MX$807

52.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.25

$11.88 MX$204

-7.66%

Cappuccino

$4.25 CA$5.91

$3.98 MX$68.1

6.78%

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

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.43 MX$24.45

68.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CA$1.38

$0.82 MX$14.13

20.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.17

$3.19 MX$54.6

84.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 CA$8.98

$6.79 MX$116

-4.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 CA$4.22

$1.68 MX$28.71

80.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 CA$4.33

$2.20 MX$37.64

41.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.62

$1.71 MX$29.27

136.26%

Eggs

$4.34 CA$6.03

$2.74 MX$46.96

58.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 CA$11.82

$9.58 MX$164

-11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 CA$13.45

$9.01 MX$154

7.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 CA$20.83

$12.81 MX$219

16.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.55

$2.89 MX$49.49

13.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.50 MX$25.65

-6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.08

$2.15 MX$36.80

69.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.09

$2.26 MX$38.71

61.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.83

$1.98 MX$33.93

75.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.98

$1.99 MX$34.09

44.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.30 CA$4.58

$1.23 MX$21.15

168.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.47

$1.20 MX$20.50

108.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 CA$21.30

$4.55 MX$78.0

236.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.34 CA$25.49

$10.37 MX$178

76.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 CA$5.50

$1.62 MX$27.74

144.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 CA$4.94

$2.88 MX$49.35

23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 CA$2.05

$0.60 MX$10.29

146.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$493

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$5.39 MX$92.3

-47.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.18

$3.73 MX$63.9

-57.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 CA$47.51

$5.77 MX$98.9

492.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 CA$1.76

$1.54 MX$26.32

-18.18%

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

$28.9K CA$40.2K

$22.5K MX$386.3K

28.26%

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

$18.4K CA$25.6K

$26.1K MX$446.5K

-29.28%

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

$54.6 CA$75.9

$91.4 MX$1,566

-40.28%

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

$45.22 CA$62.9

$25.20 MX$432

79.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 CA$88.4

$31.24 MX$535

103.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 CA$64.0

$67.2 MX$1,151

-31.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 CA$15.14

$4.86 MX$83.3

124.07%

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

$917 CA$1,275

$224 MX$3,832

310.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K CA$32.0K

$4,229 MX$72.5K

444.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.89 CA$61.0

$47.10 MX$807

-6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.17 CA$62.8

$44.29 MX$759

1.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.5 CA$102

$80.1 MX$1,373

-8.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.6 CA$126

$92.7 MX$1,588

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 CA$2,060

$1,063 MX$18.2K

39.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 CA$1,938

$390 MX$6,686

257.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 CA$3,045

$2,149 MX$36.8K

1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,199 CA$3,057

$1,272 MX$21.8K

72.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 CA$3,196

$758 MX$13.0K

203.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

11.45

-62.27%

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

Last update for Campbell River: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,482 in Campbell River and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Campbell River pays 203% 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: $72.0 in Campbell River vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 91% 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 203% 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: $1,482 in Campbell River 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 43% higher in Campbell River. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,420 per month in Campbell River versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,420 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 $1,266 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 91% less than in Campbell River. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.