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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,163 in Chilliwack versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Chilliwack versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,285 in Chilliwack versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 67% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chilliwack is 61% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 CA$20.49

$11.73 MX$203

26.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$103

$41.62 MX$720

79.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 CA$13.59

$10.64 MX$184

-7.71%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.52

$3.52 MX$60.9

13.35%

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

$2.19 CA$3.03

$1.51 MX$26.12

45.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.44

$0.97 MX$16.84

81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.13

$2.95 MX$51.0

98.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CA$6.00

$4.45 MX$77.0

-2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.38 MX$23.93

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.88

$1.89 MX$32.72

48.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.53

$1.64 MX$28.32

55.49%

Eggs

$3.80 CA$5.26

$2.51 MX$43.34

51.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$17.74

$8.34 MX$144

53.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.35

$8.34 MX$144

41.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.34

$10.73 MX$186

23.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.89

$2.60 MX$45.04

63.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.46 MX$25.20

-8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.59

$1.90 MX$32.87

112.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 CA$7.08

$2.08 MX$35.91

145.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 CA$5.94

$1.78 MX$30.71

141.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.24

$2.19 MX$37.80

39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$1.04 MX$17.99

163.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.54

$1.08 MX$18.62

69.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.62 CA$21.63

$4.08 MX$70.6

282.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 CA$18.14

$10.32 MX$178

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.34

$1.71 MX$29.61

83.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 CA$5.24

$2.58 MX$44.54

46.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.74

$0.51 MX$8.81

288.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 CA$48.60

$26.46 MX$458

32.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 CA$4.14

$3.26 MX$56.4

-8.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$2.49 MX$43.09

-9.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.15 CA$36.21

$3.25 MX$56.2

704.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.79

$1.31 MX$22.61

-1.53%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-17.38%

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

$20.1K CA$27.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-14.20%

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

$119 CA$165

$82.9 MX$1,433

43.63%

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

$45.90 CA$63.6

$22.22 MX$384

106.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 CA$85.3

$29.34 MX$507

109.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 CA$54.5

$51.6 MX$893

-23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 CA$25.34

$18.32 MX$317

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 CA$16.62

$5.07 MX$87.6

136.69%

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

$547 CA$758

$201 MX$3,473

172.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.6K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

241.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 CA$84.0

$36.92 MX$639

64.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 CA$50.4

$39.79 MX$688

-8.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 CA$134

$78.5 MX$1,357

22.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 CA$161

$87.1 MX$1,506

33.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 CA$1,613

$973 MX$16.8K

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 CA$1,512

$468 MX$8,090

133.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 CA$2,651

$1,641 MX$28.4K

16.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 CA$2,378

$1,221 MX$21.1K

40.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,354 CA$4,644

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-15.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,279 CA$4,540

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-49.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 CA$4,461

$664 MX$11.5K

385.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

11.42

-50.53%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,165 in Chilliwack and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 385% 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: $75.0 in Chilliwack vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Chilliwack. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chilliwack pays 385% more on average, 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: $1,165 in Chilliwack versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Chilliwack versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Chilliwack. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,163 in Chilliwack, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Chilliwack. 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 $1,297 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 67% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.