Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,677 in Canary Islands versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,441 in Canary Islands versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Canary Islands versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Canary Islands is roughly 33% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Canary Islands is 23% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 €17.95

$11.60 MX$200

77.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.2

$47.11 MX$812

34.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 €8.81

$11.88 MX$205

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$2.04 €1.78

$3.98 MX$68.6

-48.74%

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

$1.93 €1.68

$1.43 MX$24.60

34.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.82 MX$14.22

37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 €2.59

$3.19 MX$55.0

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.97

$6.79 MX$117

-49.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.68 MX$28.89

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 €2.13

$2.20 MX$37.88

10.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.71 MX$29.45

-7.02%

Eggs

$2.27 €1.98

$2.74 MX$47.26

-17.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.36 €17.75

$9.58 MX$165

112.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.44 €9.10

$9.01 MX$155

15.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 €15.95

$12.81 MX$221

42.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.89 MX$49.81

-5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.12

$1.50 MX$25.81

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.15 MX$37.03

3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.33

$2.26 MX$38.96

18.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.98 MX$34.15

8.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.81

$1.99 MX$34.30

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.23 MX$21.28

43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.20 MX$20.63

-20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 €4.27

$4.55 MX$78.5

7.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 €7.12

$10.37 MX$179

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.62 MX$27.91

3.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.88 MX$49.67

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.60 MX$10.35

38.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.85

$5.39 MX$92.9

-18.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 €1.49

$3.73 MX$64.3

-54.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.64 €15.38

$5.77 MX$99.5

205.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.54 MX$26.48

3.25%

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

$25.2K €22.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

11.74%

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

$29.4K €25.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

12.85%

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

$129 €113

$91.4 MX$1,576

41.41%

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

$22.23 €19.37

$25.20 MX$435

-11.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.88 €32.15

$31.24 MX$539

18.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €41.96

$67.2 MX$1,159

-28.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.74 €21.56

$29.11 MX$502

-15.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 €8.96

$4.86 MX$83.8

111.52%

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

$410 €357

$224 MX$3,856

83.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,169 €4,505

$4,229 MX$72.9K

22.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 €60.7

$47.10 MX$812

47.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 €34.82

$44.29 MX$764

-9.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 €81.9

$80.1 MX$1,381

17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$92.7 MX$1,598

25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 €1,005

$1,063 MX$18.3K

8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 €615

$390 MX$6,728

80.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 €755

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-31.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 €1,271

$758 MX$13.1K

92.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

11.45

-70.92%

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

Last update for Canary Islands: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Canary Islands and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 92% 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: $63.0 in Canary Islands vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 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

Canary Islands vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Canary Islands. 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 92% higher in Canary Islands, 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: $1,153 in Canary Islands 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 19% higher in Canary Islands. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,677 per month in Canary Islands versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,677 in Canary Islands, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Canary Islands. 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.

Safety-wise, Canary Islands and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.