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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,293 in Cranbrook versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,180 in Cranbrook versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,068 in Cranbrook versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cranbrook is roughly 82% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cranbrook is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.79 CA$17.92

$11.72 MX$203

9.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 CA$103

$41.89 MX$725

76.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.67

$10.51 MX$182

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$3.64 CA$5.10

$3.59 MX$62.0

1.39%

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

$1.70 CA$2.38

$1.51 MX$26.10

12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.62

$0.92 MX$15.83

103.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 CA$7.30

$2.96 MX$51.2

76.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 CA$8.50

$4.41 MX$76.3

37.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 CA$2.32

$1.40 MX$24.16

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.12

$1.88 MX$32.60

18.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.20 CA$7.29

$1.56 MX$26.97

233.33%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$2.61 MX$45.14

39.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 CA$17.16

$8.32 MX$144

47.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 CA$20.57

$8.35 MX$145

75.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 CA$17.52

$10.86 MX$188

15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.82

$2.71 MX$46.93

53.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CA$2.19

$1.51 MX$26.04

3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 CA$5.88

$1.87 MX$32.41

124.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 CA$7.18

$2.19 MX$37.89

134.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.23

$1.86 MX$32.14

62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 CA$4.70

$2.23 MX$38.59

50.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 CA$4.79

$1.07 MX$18.48

219.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.93

$1.09 MX$18.79

156.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.93 CA$20.91

$4.19 MX$72.4

256.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 CA$20.08

$10.43 MX$180

37.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.66 MX$28.68

35.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CA$4.44

$2.61 MX$45.19

21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 CA$3.55

$0.54 MX$9.37

368.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 CA$87.9

$26.16 MX$453

139.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 CA$4.35

$3.08 MX$53.3

0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.09

$2.40 MX$41.61

-37.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.04 CA$36.50

$3.13 MX$54.1

731.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.45

$1.31 MX$22.69

-21.37%

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

$24.9K CA$34.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-16.38%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-9.42%

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

$127 CA$177

$81.3 MX$1,406

55.79%

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

$18.64 CA$26.12

$22.56 MX$390

-17.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CA$76.7

$30.05 MX$520

82.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 CA$58.3

$52.9 MX$915

-21.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 CA$16.70

$4.92 MX$85.1

142.28%

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

$747 CA$1,047

$201 MX$3,474

272.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.5K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

128.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.69 CA$61.2

$35.92 MX$622

21.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.07 CA$64.6

$40.13 MX$694

14.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

$79.7 MX$1,379

18.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$158

$86.5 MX$1,496

30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 CA$1,577

$978 MX$16.9K

15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 CA$1,634

$470 MX$8,140

147.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 CA$2,428

$1,651 MX$28.6K

4.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 CA$2,131

$1,203 MX$20.8K

26.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,911 CA$4,079

$677 MX$11.7K

330.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.42

-40.89%

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

Last update for Cranbrook: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Cranbrook and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cranbrook pays 330% 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 Cranbrook vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Cranbrook. 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 330% higher in Cranbrook, 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: $1,125 in Cranbrook versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Cranbrook. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $74.0 in Cranbrook. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,293 in Cranbrook, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cranbrook. 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 $1,260 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 82% less than in Cranbrook. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.