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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,557 in Oshawa versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,795 in Oshawa versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,032 in Oshawa versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oshawa is roughly 99% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oshawa is 91% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 CA$24.95

$11.94 MX$208

52.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.8 CA$99.7

$42.75 MX$744

70.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 CA$14.32

$10.59 MX$184

-1.32%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.24

$3.62 MX$63.0

5.80%

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

$1.88 CA$2.57

$1.47 MX$25.54

27.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 CA$2.13

$0.94 MX$16.41

64.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 CA$7.24

$3.09 MX$53.8

71.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.41

$4.46 MX$77.6

37.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 CA$3.67

$1.43 MX$24.80

87.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 CA$3.55

$1.88 MX$32.79

37.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.01

$1.63 MX$28.34

124.54%

Eggs

$3.40 CA$4.66

$2.64 MX$45.99

28.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 CA$16.79

$8.21 MX$143

49.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$15.67

$8.29 MX$144

38.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 CA$22.31

$11.10 MX$193

46.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CA$4.92

$2.65 MX$46.14

35.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.59

$1.50 MX$26.11

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.29

$1.99 MX$34.59

93.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CA$6.94

$2.08 MX$36.13

143.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.55 CA$6.23

$1.79 MX$31.11

154.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 CA$4.52

$2.18 MX$37.87

51.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 CA$4.14

$1.08 MX$18.73

179.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.83

$1.04 MX$18.04

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.01 CA$20.57

$3.97 MX$69.1

278.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 CA$17.66

$10.20 MX$178

26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.20

$1.73 MX$30.04

77.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.11

$2.50 MX$43.46

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 CA$3.74

$0.52 MX$9.02

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 CA$120

$26.97 MX$469

225.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 CA$4.93

$3.14 MX$54.7

14.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 CA$3.02

$2.40 MX$41.80

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.25 CA$30.48

$3.09 MX$53.7

620.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.51

$1.27 MX$22.16

-13.39%

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

$25.1K CA$34.4K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-18.59%

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

$20.6K CA$28.2K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

-11.58%

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

$236 CA$323

$82.0 MX$1,427

187.33%

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

$57.9 CA$79.4

$22.45 MX$391

158.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 CA$103

$29.66 MX$516

152.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.84 CA$57.3

$51.9 MX$903

-19.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.03 CA$50.7

$18.67 MX$325

98.34%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 CA$16.90

$4.97 MX$86.5

148.29%

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

$1,346 CA$1,845

$198 MX$3,442

580.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K CA$16.4K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

127.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 CA$80.9

$36.34 MX$632

62.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 CA$79.0

$40.05 MX$697

43.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 CA$160

$79.9 MX$1,390

46.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 CA$217

$88.9 MX$1,547

77.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 CA$1,785

$963 MX$16.8K

35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 CA$1,625

$465 MX$8,086

155.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 CA$2,727

$1,596 MX$27.8K

24.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 CA$2,659

$1,209 MX$21.0K

60.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,248 CA$7,189

$3,942 MX$68.6K

33.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.6K CA$14.5K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

64.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,106 CA$4,255

$720 MX$12.5K

331.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

11.42

-45.62%

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

Last update for Oshawa: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Oshawa and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oshawa pays 331% 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 Oshawa vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Oshawa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Oshawa pays 331% more on average, 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: $1,303 in Oshawa versus $963 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 $73.0 in Oshawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,557 per month in Oshawa versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,557 in Oshawa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oshawa. 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 $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Oshawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.