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: $2,364 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,681 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Saskatchewan is 76% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 CA$23.63

$11.73 MX$203

45.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$97.3

$41.62 MX$721

68.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 CA$15.09

$10.64 MX$184

2.07%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.52

$3.52 MX$61.0

12.78%

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

$3.24 CA$4.50

$1.51 MX$26.17

114.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 CA$3.56

$0.97 MX$16.87

163.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 CA$11.57

$2.95 MX$51.1

182.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.32 CA$12.95

$4.45 MX$77.2

109.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 CA$3.82

$1.38 MX$23.97

99.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.70

$1.89 MX$32.78

79.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.09

$1.64 MX$28.37

123.17%

Eggs

$3.62 CA$5.02

$2.51 MX$43.42

44.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 CA$21.27

$8.34 MX$145

83.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 CA$19.75

$8.34 MX$145

70.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.10 CA$29.31

$10.73 MX$186

96.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.91

$2.60 MX$45.12

35.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 CA$2.72

$1.46 MX$25.25

34.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.08

$1.90 MX$32.94

92.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.26

$2.08 MX$35.98

81.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.36

$1.78 MX$30.77

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 CA$3.48

$2.19 MX$37.87

14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.04 MX$18.02

145.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.49

$1.08 MX$18.66

65.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.62 CA$23.10

$4.08 MX$70.7

307.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 CA$17.54

$10.32 MX$179

22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.04

$1.71 MX$29.67

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.39

$2.58 MX$44.63

22.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.36

$0.51 MX$8.83

374.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$26.46 MX$459

137.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 CA$4.50

$3.26 MX$56.5

-0.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CA$2.01

$2.49 MX$43.17

-41.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.48 CA$35.41

$3.25 MX$56.3

684.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.43

$1.31 MX$22.65

-21.37%

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

$24.8K CA$34.4K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-18.21%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

-11.79%

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

$124 CA$172

$82.9 MX$1,436

49.10%

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

$44.00 CA$61.1

$22.22 MX$385

98.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 CA$87.1

$29.34 MX$508

113.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.41 CA$58.9

$51.6 MX$895

-17.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.74 CA$26.04

$18.32 MX$317

2.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.77 CA$13.57

$5.07 MX$87.8

92.70%

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

$742 CA$1,031

$201 MX$3,480

269.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.7K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

130.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 CA$93.7

$36.92 MX$640

82.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.93 CA$54.1

$39.79 MX$689

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 CA$121

$78.5 MX$1,360

11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$146

$87.1 MX$1,509

20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 CA$1,845

$973 MX$16.9K

36.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 CA$1,606

$468 MX$8,105

147.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 CA$2,824

$1,641 MX$28.4K

23.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,827 CA$2,538

$1,221 MX$21.2K

49.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,941 CA$5,475

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-0.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,913 CA$5,437

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-39.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,204 CA$4,452

$664 MX$11.5K

382.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.18

11.42

-37.13%

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

Last update for Fort Saskatchewan: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,328 in Fort Saskatchewan and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Saskatchewan pays 383% 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: $70.0 in Fort Saskatchewan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 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

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

Fort Saskatchewan and Playa del Carmen differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,364 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Fort Saskatchewan pays 383% 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: $1,328 in Fort Saskatchewan versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $742 in Fort Saskatchewan 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 70% higher in Fort Saskatchewan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,364 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 82% less than in Fort Saskatchewan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.