Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,536 in New Westminster, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
Learn more

New Westminster Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,536 per month in New Westminster vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

New Westminster $2,536
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,772 per month in New Westminster vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

New Westminster $3,772
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,008 per month in New Westminster vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

New Westminster $5,008
Playa del Carmen $2,959

New Westminster costs about 111% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New Westminster sits 86% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.53 CA$27.29

$10.92 MX$205

78.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.69 CA$69.4

$43.37 MX$814

14.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 CA$14.33

$11.78 MX$221

-12.90%

Cappuccino

$3.55 CA$4.96

$3.81 MX$71.5

-6.82%

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

$1.88 CA$2.63

$1.28 MX$24.07

46.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$0.78 MX$14.70

111.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 CA$8.58

$3.17 MX$59.5

93.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.77

$4.93 MX$92.7

12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$1.41 MX$26.40

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 CA$3.32

$2.22 MX$41.62

6.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.88

$1.42 MX$26.61

145.77%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.51

$2.52 MX$47.36

28.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 CA$15.30

$7.26 MX$136

50.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.81

$7.70 MX$144

102.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.23 CA$38.05

$12.69 MX$238

114.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.46

$2.78 MX$52.3

40.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.37 MX$25.68

8.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.29

$2.55 MX$47.89

48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$2.12 MX$39.86

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$1.94 MX$36.39

26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.89 MX$35.41

16.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.20

$1.15 MX$21.53

99.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.18 MX$22.13

56.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.50 CA$21.65

$4.30 MX$80.6

260.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$9.95 MX$187

9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.58 MX$29.73

29.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.93

$2.67 MX$50.1

5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$0.55 MX$10.39

347.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 CA$127

$26.62 MX$500

241.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$4.97 MX$93.3

-56.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$3.33 MX$62.5

-45.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 CA$31.75

$5.36 MX$101

323.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.44 MX$27.11

-8.33%

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

$24.4K CA$34.1K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

17.94%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-10.81%

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

$141 CA$196

$84.8 MX$1,592

65.81%

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

$43.47 CA$60.7

$23.41 MX$439

85.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 CA$90.9

$28.66 MX$538

126.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 CA$46.80

$57.1 MX$1,071

-41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 CA$24.72

$28.91 MX$543

-38.81%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 CA$16.09

$5.14 MX$96.5

124.12%

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

$794 CA$1,109

$207 MX$3,878

284.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,694 CA$12.1K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

121.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 CA$73.2

$43.35 MX$814

20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 CA$57.4

$41.44 MX$778

-0.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 CA$112

$74.2 MX$1,393

7.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 CA$138

$89.3 MX$1,676

10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 CA$2,269

$980 MX$18.4K

65.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,824

$381 MX$7,150

242.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 CA$3,729

$1,708 MX$32.1K

56.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CA$3,228

$1,075 MX$20.2K

114.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 CA$6,639

$3,943 MX$74.0K

20.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,037 CA$5,641

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-34.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,171 CA$4,431

$735 MX$13.8K

331.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

11.45

-58.78%

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

Last update for New Westminster: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Westminster

$1.3K 51.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70.8% $925

Groceries & Markets

New Westminster

$404 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 36.9% $149

Eating Out

New Westminster

$286 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 29.2% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Westminster

$249 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 45.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

New Westminster

$122 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 8.8% $11

Getting Around

New Westminster

$112 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 55% $62

Sport & Entertainment

New Westminster

$57 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 19.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,624 in New Westminster versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New Westminster are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in New Westminster versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:33 6:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

2 h ahead of New Westminster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Westminster Playa del Carmen 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

New Westminster
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

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

New Westminster costs about 111% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,803 per month in New Westminster and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,624 in New Westminster.

Kindergarten costs $794 per month in New Westminster and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in New Westminster, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in New Westminster at $2,536. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Westminster it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Westminster makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.