Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grimsby and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,254 in Grimsby, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Grimsby
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Grimsby Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Grimsby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,254

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grimsby and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Grimsby and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,254 in Grimsby versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Grimsby $2,254
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,321 in Grimsby versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Grimsby $3,321
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,388 in Grimsby versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Grimsby $4,388
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Grimsby is roughly 86% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grimsby is 67% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 CA$24.85

$10.76 MX$199

63.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$99.8

$43.03 MX$795

64.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 CA$14.71

$11.79 MX$218

-11.70%

Cappuccino

$3.35 CA$4.73

$3.87 MX$71.4

-13.44%

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

$1.88 CA$2.66

$1.37 MX$25.29

37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$0.84 MX$15.44

80.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.97

$3.10 MX$57.3

81.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CA$8.73

$5.07 MX$93.6

21.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$1.44 MX$26.55

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$4.01

$2.23 MX$41.23

27.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 CA$4.70

$1.47 MX$27.17

125.85%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.97

$2.53 MX$46.71

39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 CA$13.00

$7.30 MX$135

25.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.23 CA$14.46

$7.86 MX$145

30.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 CA$18.99

$12.79 MX$236

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$2.90 MX$53.6

17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.44 MX$26.53

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.55 MX$47.07

3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.09

$2.06 MX$38.03

40.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CA$2.64

$2.00 MX$36.97

-6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 CA$2.66

$2.01 MX$37.07

-6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CA$2.90

$1.19 MX$22.02

72.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$1.26 MX$23.23

15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 CA$18.91

$4.40 MX$81.4

203.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 CA$14.73

$9.59 MX$177

8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 CA$3.91

$1.59 MX$29.41

74.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.81 MX$51.9

-6.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$0.57 MX$10.47

329.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 CA$78.0

$27.82 MX$514

98.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 CA$6.88

$4.98 MX$92.1

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 CA$3.55

$3.50 MX$64.6

-28.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.39 CA$58.5

$5.40 MX$99.8

666.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.47 MX$27.08

-21.77%

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

$28.0K CA$39.6K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

33.55%

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

$18.4K CA$26.0K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-23.06%

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

$143 CA$203

$84.2 MX$1,556

70.35%

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

$43.19 CA$61.1

$23.99 MX$443

80.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 CA$94.5

$29.02 MX$536

130.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.73 CA$56.2

$63.0 MX$1,164

-36.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 CA$26.65

$29.14 MX$539

-35.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 CA$12.52

$4.94 MX$91.3

79.35%

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

$1,022 CA$1,445

$204 MX$3,763

401.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K CA$24.0K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

330.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.4 CA$98.1

$43.60 MX$806

59.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.37 CA$54.2

$43.12 MX$797

-11.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 CA$137

$75.8 MX$1,400

27.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$136

$88.6 MX$1,637

8.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 CA$1,653

$1,008 MX$18.6K

15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 CA$1,602

$374 MX$6,911

202.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 CA$2,710

$1,708 MX$31.6K

12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 CA$2,613

$1,106 MX$20.4K

67.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,532 CA$6,406

$3,944 MX$72.9K

14.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,743 CA$5,292

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-39.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,334 CA$6,127

$754 MX$13.9K

474.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

11.45

-60.52%

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

Last update for Grimsby: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Grimsby

$1.1K 50.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 67% $759

Groceries & Markets

Grimsby

$326 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 20.8% $68

Eating Out

Grimsby

$266 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 24% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grimsby

$254 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 45.9% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Grimsby

$135 6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 16.5% $22

Getting Around

Grimsby

$82 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 36.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Grimsby

$57 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 26.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,169 in Grimsby and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimsby pays 475% 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: $71.0 in Grimsby vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Grimsby

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

1 h behind Grimsby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,883

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Grimsby Playa del Carmen 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Grimsby
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Grimsby and Playa del Carmen differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($2,254 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 475% higher in Grimsby, 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: $1,169 in Grimsby versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $71.0 in Grimsby. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,254 per month in Grimsby versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 in Grimsby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grimsby. 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 86% less than in Grimsby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.