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: $2,357 in Oshawa versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,382 in Oshawa versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,407 in Oshawa versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oshawa is roughly 86% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oshawa is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.23 CA$19.90

$11.60 MX$199

22.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$89.7

$47.11 MX$809

36.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 CA$11.81

$11.88 MX$204

-28.96%

Cappuccino

$3.50 CA$4.90

$3.98 MX$68.2

-12.06%

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

$1.73 CA$2.42

$1.43 MX$24.49

20.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$0.82 MX$14.16

74.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.17 CA$7.23

$3.19 MX$54.7

62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.59

$6.79 MX$117

-9.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.91 CA$4.08

$1.68 MX$28.76

73.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$2.20 MX$37.71

31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.72

$1.71 MX$29.32

139.18%

Eggs

$3.01 CA$4.20

$2.74 MX$47.05

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 CA$13.94

$9.58 MX$164

3.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 CA$20.02

$9.01 MX$155

58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.65 CA$23.29

$12.81 MX$220

29.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 CA$6.06

$2.89 MX$49.58

49.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.68

$1.50 MX$25.70

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.95

$2.15 MX$36.87

31.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.37

$2.26 MX$38.79

69.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.94

$1.98 MX$34.00

78.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.66

$1.99 MX$34.15

31.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.31

$1.23 MX$21.18

91.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$1.20 MX$20.54

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.24

$4.55 MX$78.1

217.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.67

$10.37 MX$178

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 CA$4.96

$1.62 MX$27.79

119.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 CA$5.02

$2.88 MX$49.44

24.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$0.60 MX$10.30

328.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 CA$97.0

$28.80 MX$494

140.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.90

$5.39 MX$92.5

-35.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 CA$0.97

$3.73 MX$64.0

-81.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.03 CA$25.23

$5.77 MX$99.0

212.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 CA$1.56

$1.54 MX$26.37

-27.27%

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

$28.2K CA$39.5K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

25.10%

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

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-22.70%

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

$138 CA$193

$91.4 MX$1,569

50.85%

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

$38.91 CA$54.4

$25.20 MX$433

54.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$74.1

$31.24 MX$536

69.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.31 CA$41.01

$67.2 MX$1,154

-56.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 CA$40.11

$29.11 MX$500

-1.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 CA$15.37

$4.86 MX$83.5

126.13%

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

$1,202 CA$1,682

$224 MX$3,839

437.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 CA$79.0

$47.10 MX$808

19.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 CA$79.4

$44.29 MX$760

28.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$147

$80.1 MX$1,375

31.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 CA$185

$92.7 MX$1,591

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 CA$1,929

$1,063 MX$18.2K

29.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 CA$1,732

$390 MX$6,698

217.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,757

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 CA$2,549

$1,272 MX$21.8K

43.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,258 CA$7,357

$4,001 MX$68.7K

31.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.4K CA$14.6K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

60.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,044 CA$4,259

$758 MX$13.0K

301.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.45

-60.44%

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

Last update for Oshawa: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,379 in Oshawa and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oshawa pays 302% 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: $64.0 in Oshawa vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $276 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 86% 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.

Average pay runs 302% higher in Oshawa, 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: $1,379 in Oshawa versus $1,063 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 $47.00 versus $64.0 in Oshawa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,357 per month in Oshawa versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,357 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 $1,266 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 86% less than in Oshawa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.