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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Picton versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,731 in Picton versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,415 in Picton versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Picton costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Picton 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 CA$25.44

$11.96 MX$203

53.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 CA$97.8

$47.38 MX$804

48.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 CA$10.15

$11.75 MX$199

-37.70%

Cappuccino

$3.60 CA$4.99

$4.12 MX$70.0

-12.62%

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

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.40 MX$23.74

55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.36

$0.91 MX$15.48

86.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.82

$3.21 MX$54.4

75.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 CA$8.14

$7.07 MX$120

-16.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 CA$2.39

$1.68 MX$28.44

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.94

$2.15 MX$36.48

-1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.50

$1.77 MX$30.10

42.94%

Eggs

$2.95 CA$4.09

$2.82 MX$47.76

4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 CA$13.99

$9.20 MX$156

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 CA$16.94

$9.23 MX$157

32.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.82 CA$21.94

$12.64 MX$214

25.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$2.95 MX$50.1

-5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.76

$1.58 MX$26.79

-19.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.21

$2.22 MX$37.70

69.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.85

$2.36 MX$40.09

78.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.57

$1.99 MX$33.81

-7.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.06

$1.98 MX$33.58

-25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 CA$3.27

$1.24 MX$21.04

90.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.73

$1.21 MX$20.55

3.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.30 CA$19.83

$4.60 MX$78.1

210.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 CA$20.18

$10.52 MX$178

38.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.69 MX$28.70

31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.54

$2.77 MX$47.06

-7.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 CA$2.97

$0.60 MX$10.22

256.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.66 CA$27.26

$29.70 MX$504

-33.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 CA$4.21

$5.24 MX$88.8

-42.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$3.65 MX$61.9

-64.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.32 CA$30.96

$5.78 MX$98.1

286.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.51

$1.54 MX$26.09

-29.22%

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

$27.2K CA$37.7K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

19.08%

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

$21.2K CA$29.4K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

-17.86%

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

$128 CA$177

$90.7 MX$1,538

40.75%

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

$29.09 CA$40.35

$25.19 MX$427

15.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.34 CA$67.1

$31.75 MX$539

52.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.58 CA$60.5

$68.8 MX$1,167

-36.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$8.67 CA$12.02

$4.86 MX$82.5

78.40%

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

$291 CA$404

$226 MX$3,828

29.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K CA$34.6K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

494.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 CA$71.2

$47.38 MX$804

8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.98 CA$49.90

$43.45 MX$737

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 CA$123

$80.2 MX$1,361

10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 CA$169

$91.4 MX$1,550

33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 CA$1,422

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 CA$2,352

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-14.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,866 CA$5,362

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-4.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 CA$4,480

$773 MX$13.1K

317.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.45

-60.96%

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

Last update for Picton: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,026 in Picton and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Picton pays 318% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Picton vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 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

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

Picton and Playa del Carmen differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,047 vs $1,305 including rent). Picton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 318% higher in Picton, 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: $1,026 in Picton versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Picton – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,047 per month in Picton versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,047 in Picton versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Picton but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Picton 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, Picton 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 Picton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.