Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Canterbury and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,738 per month in Canterbury vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,703 per month in Canterbury vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,669 per month in Canterbury vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Canterbury costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Canterbury sits 30% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.30 NZ$20.94

$11.73 MX$203

4.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 NZ$114

$41.62 MX$721

61.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.78 NZ$14.95

$10.64 MX$184

-17.48%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NZ$5.56

$3.52 MX$61.0

-7.10%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.84

$1.51 MX$26.17

49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NZ$3.42

$0.97 MX$16.87

107.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.15 NZ$7.07

$2.95 MX$51.1

40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 NZ$10.22

$4.45 MX$77.2

34.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 NZ$2.12

$1.38 MX$23.97

-9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NZ$3.22

$1.89 MX$32.78

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.08

$1.64 MX$28.37

10.37%

Eggs

$5.77 NZ$9.83

$2.51 MX$43.42

129.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.64 NZ$11.31

$8.34 MX$145

-20.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 NZ$17.98

$8.34 MX$145

26.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.06 NZ$15.42

$10.73 MX$186

-15.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$3.90

$2.60 MX$45.12

-11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.01

$1.46 MX$25.25

61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NZ$5.75

$1.90 MX$32.94

77.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 NZ$7.49

$2.08 MX$35.98

111.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 NZ$2.01

$1.78 MX$30.77

-33.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.36

$2.19 MX$37.87

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 NZ$3.02

$1.04 MX$18.02

70.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.81

$1.08 MX$18.66

-1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.74 NZ$40.43

$4.08 MX$70.7

481.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.31 NZ$15.85

$10.32 MX$179

-9.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NZ$4.35

$1.71 MX$29.67

49.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 NZ$6.05

$2.58 MX$44.63

37.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NZ$1.48

$0.51 MX$8.83

70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 NZ$109

$26.46 MX$459

142.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NZ$4.69

$3.26 MX$56.5

-15.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 NZ$1.85

$2.49 MX$43.17

-56.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.73 NZ$50.6

$3.25 MX$56.3

814.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$2.90

$1.31 MX$22.65

29.77%

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

$19.8K NZ$33.7K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-34.68%

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

$25.2K NZ$43.0K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

7.65%

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

$102 NZ$174

$82.9 MX$1,436

22.99%

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

$36.14 NZ$61.6

$22.22 MX$385

62.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 NZ$94.0

$29.34 MX$508

88.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 NZ$62.8

$51.6 MX$895

-28.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 NZ$20.65

$18.32 MX$317

-33.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NZ$16.13

$5.07 MX$87.8

86.79%

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

$578 NZ$984

$201 MX$3,480

187.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.4K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

129.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 NZ$88.8

$36.92 MX$640

41.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.00 NZ$51.1

$39.79 MX$689

-24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$165

$78.5 MX$1,360

23.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$210

$87.1 MX$1,509

41.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NZ$1,658

$973 MX$16.9K

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 NZ$1,347

$468 MX$8,105

69.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,686

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-3.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NZ$2,463

$1,221 MX$21.2K

18.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,817 NZ$4,798

$664 MX$11.5K

324.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

11.42

-38.09%

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

Last update for Canterbury: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Canterbury versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 324% higher in Canterbury, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Canterbury versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,738 in Canterbury, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 34% apart. Canterbury costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,606 per month in Canterbury and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Canterbury, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Canterbury and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Canterbury at $1,738. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canterbury it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $1,738 in Canterbury. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canterbury makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.