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: $2,318 in Cranbrook versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,207 in Cranbrook versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,095 in Cranbrook versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cranbrook is roughly 80% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cranbrook is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.09 CA$17.93

$11.94 MX$208

9.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 CA$102

$42.75 MX$744

74.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 CA$13.87

$10.59 MX$184

-4.44%

Cappuccino

$3.60 CA$4.93

$3.62 MX$63.0

-0.55%

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

$1.68 CA$2.31

$1.47 MX$25.54

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.54

$0.94 MX$16.41

96.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.20 CA$7.12

$3.09 MX$53.8

68.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 CA$8.05

$4.46 MX$77.6

31.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 CA$2.36

$1.43 MX$24.80

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 CA$2.95

$1.88 MX$32.79

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 CA$7.28

$1.63 MX$28.34

225.77%

Eggs

$3.75 CA$5.14

$2.64 MX$45.99

42.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 CA$16.81

$8.21 MX$143

49.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.51

$8.29 MX$144

80.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.45 CA$17.06

$11.10 MX$193

12.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.65

$2.65 MX$46.14

55.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.17

$1.50 MX$26.11

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 CA$5.98

$1.99 MX$34.59

119.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 CA$6.94

$2.08 MX$36.13

143.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.08

$1.79 MX$31.11

66.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 CA$4.45

$2.18 MX$37.87

49.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.58 CA$4.91

$1.08 MX$18.73

231.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.81

$1.04 MX$18.04

167.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.81 CA$20.30

$3.97 MX$69.1

273.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.29 CA$18.21

$10.20 MX$178

30.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CA$2.94

$1.73 MX$30.04

24.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CA$4.26

$2.50 MX$43.46

24.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.57

$0.52 MX$9.02

401.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.2 CA$85.2

$26.97 MX$469

130.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.42

$3.14 MX$54.7

2.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.02

$2.40 MX$41.80

-38.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.27 CA$34.62

$3.09 MX$53.7

717.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 CA$1.44

$1.27 MX$22.16

-17.32%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-18.75%

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

$20.7K CA$28.3K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-11.26%

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

$128 CA$175

$82.0 MX$1,427

55.76%

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

$18.06 CA$24.75

$22.45 MX$391

-19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 CA$73.5

$29.66 MX$516

80.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.57 CA$58.3

$51.9 MX$903

-17.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$11.62 CA$15.91

$4.97 MX$86.5

133.80%

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

$743 CA$1,018

$198 MX$3,442

275.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.2K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

123.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.14 CA$59.1

$36.34 MX$632

18.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.46 CA$63.7

$40.05 MX$697

16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 CA$128

$79.9 MX$1,390

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$152

$88.9 MX$1,547

25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 CA$1,491

$963 MX$16.8K

13.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 CA$1,610

$465 MX$8,086

152.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CA$2,342

$1,596 MX$27.8K

7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CA$2,082

$1,209 MX$21.0K

25.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,206

$720 MX$12.5K

326.14%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,089 in Cranbrook and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cranbrook pays 326% 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 Cranbrook vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $251 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 80% 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.

Cranbrook pays 326% 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: $1,089 in Cranbrook versus $963 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 $43.00 versus $75.0 in Cranbrook. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,318 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 $1,287 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 80% less than in Cranbrook. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.