Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Saskatchewan and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Saskatchewan and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,528 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,788 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fort Saskatchewan is roughly 75% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Saskatchewan is 65% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.15 CA$40.19

$11.71 MX$198

148.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.6 CA$91.8

$46.59 MX$788

42.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 CA$14.74

$11.65 MX$197

-8.24%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.54

$4.09 MX$69.2

-1.71%

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

$3.29 CA$4.54

$1.37 MX$23.23

140.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 CA$3.57

$0.83 MX$14.09

212.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 CA$11.01

$3.35 MX$56.7

138.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.49 CA$13.08

$6.91 MX$117

37.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 CA$3.54

$1.73 MX$29.20

48.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CA$4.33

$2.26 MX$38.21

38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.73

$1.77 MX$29.91

93.79%

Eggs

$3.62 CA$4.99

$2.73 MX$46.19

32.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.01 CA$20.70

$9.18 MX$155

63.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.80 CA$19.03

$8.92 MX$151

54.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 CA$28.57

$12.60 MX$213

64.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.57

$3.02 MX$51.1

9.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 CA$2.65

$1.57 MX$26.55

22.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.04

$2.13 MX$35.93

71.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.32

$2.26 MX$38.28

70.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.50

$2.00 MX$33.88

27.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.21

$2.06 MX$34.90

13.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CA$3.44

$1.18 MX$19.94

111.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.21

$1.20 MX$20.35

34.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.34 CA$22.54

$4.63 MX$78.4

252.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 CA$17.39

$10.69 MX$181

17.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 CA$4.11

$1.62 MX$27.38

83.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.65

$2.88 MX$48.70

17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.21

$0.57 MX$9.69

308.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.4 CA$87.5

$29.83 MX$504

112.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 CA$3.49

$5.45 MX$92.1

-53.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 CA$2.15

$3.70 MX$62.6

-57.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.44 CA$32.32

$5.98 MX$101

291.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 CA$1.30

$1.55 MX$26.26

-39.35%

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

$28.2K CA$38.9K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

26.27%

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

$19.8K CA$27.4K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-23.56%

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

$151 CA$208

$89.1 MX$1,507

69.35%

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

$39.17 CA$54.0

$25.04 MX$423

56.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$76.7

$31.50 MX$532

76.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.10 CA$58.1

$67.8 MX$1,146

-37.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.77 CA$25.89

$28.92 MX$489

-35.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.61 CA$13.25

$5.05 MX$85.4

90.30%

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

$764 CA$1,053

$225 MX$3,803

239.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K CA$18.7K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

221.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 CA$88.6

$47.44 MX$802

35.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 CA$53.5

$44.98 MX$760

-13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 CA$121

$82.0 MX$1,386

6.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$143

$92.1 MX$1,557

12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 CA$1,798

$1,069 MX$18.1K

21.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 CA$1,224

$405 MX$6,852

119.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 CA$2,776

$1,935 MX$32.7K

4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,396

$1,301 MX$22.0K

33.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,725 CA$6,515

$3,995 MX$67.5K

18.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,859 CA$5,322

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-41.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,249 CA$4,481

$749 MX$12.7K

333.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.07

11.45

-46.99%

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

Last update for Fort Saskatchewan: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Fort Saskatchewan and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Saskatchewan pays 334% 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: $67.0 in Fort Saskatchewan vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $277 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

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

Fort Saskatchewan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 334% higher in Fort Saskatchewan, 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: $1,304 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $764 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $225 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 49% higher in Fort Saskatchewan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,268 in Fort Saskatchewan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fort Saskatchewan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Fort Saskatchewan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.