Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Airdrie

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,607 in Airdrie, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Airdrie
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Airdrie Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Airdrie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Airdrie

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Airdrie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,607 in Airdrie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Airdrie $2,607

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,721 in Airdrie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Airdrie $3,721

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,836 in Airdrie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Airdrie $4,836

Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper than Airdrie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Airdrie is 92% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$19.92 CA$27.98

-45.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$810

$75.8 CA$107

-42.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$10.73 CA$15.08

9.79%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.2

$3.99 CA$5.61

-4.51%

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

$1.28 MX$23.96

$2.29 CA$3.22

-44.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.63

$2.05 CA$2.88

-61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.2

$5.56 CA$7.81

-42.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.2

$6.50 CA$9.13

-24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.28

$2.00 CA$2.81

-29.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.43

$2.79 CA$3.93

-20.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.48

$3.51 CA$4.94

-59.54%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.14

$3.73 CA$5.25

-32.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$11.40 CA$16.02

-36.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$11.57 CA$16.26

-33.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$18.77 CA$26.37

-32.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.0

$4.77 CA$6.70

-41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.56

$1.36 CA$1.91

0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.66

$4.27 CA$6.00

-40.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.67

$3.95 CA$5.55

-46.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.22

$2.72 CA$3.82

-28.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.24

$2.68 CA$3.77

-29.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.42

$2.64 CA$3.71

-56.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.03

$1.88 CA$2.65

-37.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.3

$14.53 CA$20.42

-70.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$11.28 CA$15.85

-11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.59

$3.62 CA$5.09

-56.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.91

$3.11 CA$4.37

-14.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

$2.09 CA$2.94

-73.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

$180 CA$253

-85.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.9

$3.17 CA$4.46

56.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.2

$1.33 CA$1.87

150.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$21.83 CA$30.67

-75.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.98

$1.16 CA$1.63

24.14%

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

$20.7K MX$386.2K

$27.8K CA$39.0K

-25.57%

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

$23.5K MX$438.5K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

11.59%

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

$84.8 MX$1,584

$223 CA$314

-62.03%

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

$23.41 MX$437

$44.59 CA$62.7

-47.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$535

$54.9 CA$77.2

-47.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,066

$84.1 CA$118

-32.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

$36.13 CA$50.8

-19.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.0

$13.99 CA$19.65

-63.26%

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

$207 MX$3,860

$645 CA$906

-67.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.4K

$9,668 CA$13.6K

-59.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$810

$44.55 CA$62.6

-2.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$774

$43.45 CA$61.1

-4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,386

$87.1 CA$122

-14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,668

$114 CA$160

-21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,294 CA$1,818

-24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,116

$1,158 CA$1,627

-67.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

$1,786 CA$2,509

-4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$1,645 CA$2,311

-34.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

$6,073 CA$8,533

-35.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.1K

$6,241 CA$8,769

-1.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$2,955 CA$4,151

-75.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.32

165.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Airdrie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Airdrie

$1.2K 44.4% 204% $777

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Airdrie

$388 14.9% 52.2% $133

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Airdrie

$298 11.4% 47.1% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Airdrie

$323 12.4% 136% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Airdrie

$130 5% 16.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Airdrie

$112 4.3% 66.5% $45

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Airdrie

$198 7.6% 293% $148

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,294 in Airdrie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Airdrie are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $76 in Airdrie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $388 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Airdrie

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

54,891

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Airdrie 4,130 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Airdrie

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,607 in Airdrie – roughly 116% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,910 in Airdrie. 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 $1,294 in Airdrie.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,607 in Airdrie. That’s a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Airdrie at $2,607. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Airdrie 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Airdrie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.