Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,253 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton 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 Hamilton and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Hamilton versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Hamilton $2,253
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Hamilton versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Hamilton $3,331
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,408 in Hamilton versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Hamilton $4,408
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Hamilton 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: Hamilton is 67% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$10.76 MX$199

59.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$43.03 MX$795

52.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$11.79 MX$218

0.68%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$3.87 MX$71.4

-12.92%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.37 MX$25.29

62.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$0.84 MX$15.44

101.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$3.10 MX$57.3

60.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$5.07 MX$93.6

18.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$1.44 MX$26.55

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$2.23 MX$41.23

-4.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$1.47 MX$27.17

112.93%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$2.53 MX$46.71

31.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$7.30 MX$135

7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$7.86 MX$145

43.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$12.79 MX$236

11.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$2.90 MX$53.6

31.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.44 MX$26.53

-11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$2.55 MX$47.07

56.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$2.06 MX$38.03

85.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$2.00 MX$36.97

35.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$2.01 MX$37.07

-4.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$1.19 MX$22.02

63.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.26 MX$23.23

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$4.40 MX$81.4

183.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$9.59 MX$177

45.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$1.59 MX$29.41

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.81 MX$51.9

34.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$0.57 MX$10.47

349.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

$27.82 MX$514

202.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$4.98 MX$92.1

-32.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$3.50 MX$64.6

-63.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$5.40 MX$99.8

330.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.47 MX$27.08

-17.69%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

31.67%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-17.96%

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

$152 CA$214

$84.2 MX$1,556

80.05%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$23.99 MX$443

71.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$29.02 MX$536

72.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$63.0 MX$1,164

-41.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$29.14 MX$539

-39.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$4.94 MX$91.3

107.09%

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

$600 CA$848

$204 MX$3,763

194.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

320.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$43.60 MX$806

9.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$43.12 MX$797

-29.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$75.8 MX$1,400

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$88.6 MX$1,637

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,008 MX$18.6K

24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$374 MX$6,911

200.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$1,708 MX$31.6K

19.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$1,106 MX$20.4K

69.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-31.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-56.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$754 MX$13.9K

279.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

11.45

-59.83%

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

Last update for Hamilton: 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

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 66.7% $749

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 22.8% $76

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 24.1% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 43.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 9% $11

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 49.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 27.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Hamilton and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 279% 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: $66.0 in Hamilton vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

12:28 12:28 PM

1 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Hamilton
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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 279% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,251 in Hamilton versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Hamilton versus $204 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 30% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,253 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.