Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in Markham versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,565 in Markham versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,662 in Markham versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Markham is roughly 85% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Markham is 80% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.90 CA$24.66

$13.02 MX$221

37.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.3 CA$73.4

$46.25 MX$784

15.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 CA$14.78

$12.59 MX$213

-14.77%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.13

$4.00 MX$67.9

-7.00%

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

$1.82 CA$2.51

$1.42 MX$24.08

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.89

$0.81 MX$13.73

69.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 CA$6.51

$3.05 MX$51.7

54.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CA$9.88

$6.82 MX$116

5.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 CA$2.77

$1.71 MX$29.04

17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CA$3.05

$2.22 MX$37.62

-0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.71

$1.72 MX$29.13

14.53%

Eggs

$3.09 CA$4.26

$2.71 MX$45.99

14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.70

$8.86 MX$150

36.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 CA$9.96

$12.78 MX$217

-43.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.28

$3.13 MX$53.0

22.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.81

$1.55 MX$26.24

-14.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.19

$2.15 MX$36.51

7.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 CA$4.72

$2.35 MX$39.89

45.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 CA$2.82

$2.02 MX$34.23

1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.66

$1.99 MX$33.67

-3.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 CA$4.02

$1.24 MX$21.09

135.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.13

$1.19 MX$20.21

30.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.79 CA$19.00

$4.65 MX$78.8

196.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 CA$20.89

$10.47 MX$177

44.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.50

$1.58 MX$26.82

60.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.43

$2.92 MX$49.48

10.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 CA$4.32

$0.56 MX$9.53

460.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 CA$127

$29.76 MX$504

209.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 CA$4.61

$5.32 MX$90.2

-37.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 CA$26.15

$5.78 MX$97.9

228.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.55

$1.55 MX$26.27

-27.74%

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

$29.0K CA$39.9K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

29.53%

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

$18.3K CA$25.2K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

-28.35%

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

$127 CA$175

$89.3 MX$1,513

42.66%

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

$26.97 CA$37.16

$23.30 MX$395

15.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.53 CA$65.5

$31.72 MX$538

49.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.83 CA$60.4

$68.8 MX$1,165

-36.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 CA$29.26

$29.40 MX$498

-27.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.45 CA$14.39

$5.06 MX$85.7

106.52%

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

$883 CA$1,217

$222 MX$3,765

297.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.2K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

563.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.43 CA$59.8

$46.21 MX$783

-6.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.19 CA$52.6

$44.43 MX$753

-14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$129

$95.5 MX$1,618

-1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 CA$136

$92.5 MX$1,568

6.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 CA$2,232

$1,069 MX$18.1K

51.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 CA$1,939

$393 MX$6,663

257.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,744 CA$3,781

$1,988 MX$33.7K

38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,331 CA$3,212

$1,304 MX$22.1K

78.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,085 CA$8,384

$4,037 MX$68.4K

50.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,645 CA$7,777

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-14.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,139 CA$4,325

$747 MX$12.7K

320.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

11.6

-60.69%

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

Last update for Markham: August 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,620 in Markham and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 320% 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: $53.0 in Markham vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Markham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 320% higher in Markham, 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: $1,620 in Markham versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $883 in Markham versus $222 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 4% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,467 in Markham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Markham. 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 $1,330 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Markham and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.