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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,763 in Milton versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,925 in Milton versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,086 in Milton versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Milton is roughly 112% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milton is 100% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.44 CA$20.02

$11.96 MX$203

20.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$101

$47.38 MX$805

54.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CA$12.40

$11.75 MX$200

-23.91%

Cappuccino

$3.72 CA$5.16

$4.12 MX$70.1

-9.71%

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

$3.10 CA$4.29

$1.40 MX$23.78

121.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CA$3.19

$0.91 MX$15.50

152.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.76 CA$6.61

$3.21 MX$54.5

48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$8.78

$7.07 MX$120

-10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.88

$1.68 MX$28.49

23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 CA$3.19

$2.15 MX$36.53

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.64

$1.77 MX$30.14

48.02%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.46

$2.82 MX$47.83

13.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 CA$12.42

$9.20 MX$156

-2.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.58 CA$31.32

$9.23 MX$157

144.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.56 CA$32.67

$12.64 MX$215

86.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.17 CA$7.17

$2.95 MX$50.1

75.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.58 MX$26.83

-26.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 CA$3.99

$2.22 MX$37.76

29.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.59

$2.36 MX$40.15

70.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.99 MX$33.86

20.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CA$3.02

$1.98 MX$33.63

10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.11

$1.24 MX$21.07

80.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.74

$1.21 MX$20.58

62.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 CA$15.82

$4.60 MX$78.2

148.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 CA$19.38

$10.52 MX$179

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.87

$1.69 MX$28.74

22.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.90

$2.77 MX$47.13

1.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 CA$4.04

$0.60 MX$10.24

385.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.0 CA$79.0

$29.70 MX$505

91.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 CA$4.57

$5.24 MX$89.0

-37.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.11

$3.65 MX$62.0

-58.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.67 CA$39.76

$5.78 MX$98.3

396.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CA$1.48

$1.54 MX$26.13

-30.52%

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

$24.2K CA$33.6K

$22.8K MX$387.4K

6.27%

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

$19.2K CA$26.6K

$25.8K MX$438.5K

-25.57%

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

$232 CA$322

$90.7 MX$1,540

156.40%

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

$52.9 CA$73.3

$25.19 MX$428

109.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 CA$92.4

$31.75 MX$539

109.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.76 CA$67.6

$68.8 MX$1,169

-29.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.18 CA$29.38

$29.37 MX$499

-27.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 CA$20.38

$4.86 MX$82.6

202.26%

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

$421 CA$583

$226 MX$3,834

86.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CA$15.3K

$4,194 MX$71.2K

163.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.0 CA$98.4

$47.38 MX$805

49.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.26 CA$65.5

$43.45 MX$738

8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 CA$128

$80.2 MX$1,363

14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 CA$197

$91.4 MX$1,552

55.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 CA$2,113

$1,086 MX$18.4K

40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 CA$1,986

$409 MX$6,943

250.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 CA$3,557

$1,972 MX$33.5K

30.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 CA$2,896

$1,281 MX$21.8K

62.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,846 CA$6,721

$4,046 MX$68.7K

19.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,285 CA$5,943

$6,704 MX$113.9K

-36.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,242 CA$4,496

$773 MX$13.1K

319.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

11.45

-50.31%

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

Last update for Milton: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Milton and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton pays 319% 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: $73.0 in Milton vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $278 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

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

Milton and Playa del Carmen differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,763 vs $1,305 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 319% higher in Milton, 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: $1,524 in Milton versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 92% less than in Milton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $421 in Milton versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,763 in Milton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Milton. 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.

Safety-wise, Milton 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 112% less than in Milton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.