Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Alliston

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,109 in Alliston, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Alliston
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Alliston Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Alliston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Alliston actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,109 in Alliston, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Alliston $2,109

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,308 in Alliston, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Alliston $3,308

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,507 in Alliston, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Alliston $4,507

Playa del Carmen is about 43% cheaper than Alliston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Alliston is 56% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$17.62 CA$24.91

-38.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$78.0 CA$110

-43.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$10.64 CA$15.04

10.53%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.43 CA$2.02

157.34%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.10 CA$2.97

-36.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.67 CA$2.35

-50.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$6.46 CA$9.13

-52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$6.81 CA$9.63

-27.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.53 CA$3.58

-41.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.62 CA$3.70

-15.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.16 CA$3.05

-31.48%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.04 CA$4.29

-18.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$9.32 CA$13.18

-19.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$11.30 CA$15.98

-29.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.07 CA$9.99

77.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.59 CA$5.08

-22.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.16 CA$1.64

23.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.44 CA$4.86

-23.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.88 CA$5.49

-44.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.83 CA$2.58

10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.61 CA$2.27

23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.28 CA$3.22

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.71 CA$1.00

69.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$13.89 CA$19.64

-69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$6.96 CA$9.83

43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.19 CA$3.09

-29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.43 CA$3.44

9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.25 CA$3.18

-76.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$61.5 CA$86.9

-55.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.94 CA$4.15

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.22 CA$1.72

181.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$21.57 CA$30.50

-75.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.96 CA$1.36

51.04%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

-23.67%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$19.9K CA$28.2K

15.57%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$120 CA$170

-29.00%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$28.09 CA$39.71

-16.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$48.40 CA$68.4

-41.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$25.52 CA$36.07

143.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$17.69 CA$25.00

62.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$11.24 CA$15.89

-54.63%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$811 CA$1,146

-75.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$23.6K CA$33.3K

-83.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$50.9 CA$71.9

-12.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$39.78 CA$56.2

3.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$99.1 CA$140

-26.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$122 CA$172

-26.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,234 CA$1,744

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,101 CA$1,557

-66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,934 CA$2,734

-13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,122 CA$2,999

-48.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$4,176 CA$5,904

-5.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$3,581 CA$5,063

71.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$1,837 CA$2,597

-59.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.47

156.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Alliston: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Alliston

$1.1K 52.2% 195% $728

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Alliston

$292 13.9% 13% $34

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Alliston

$251 11.9% 25.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Alliston

$197 9.3% 43.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Alliston

$140 6.7% 25.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Alliston

$48 2.3% 33.7% $24

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Alliston

$80 3.8% 53.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,234 in Alliston. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 149% higher in Alliston, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $78.0 in Alliston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $292 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Alliston

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

10:20 10:20 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Alliston 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Alliston

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 Alliston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alliston is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,163 in Alliston. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Alliston, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $78.0 in Alliston. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Alliston at $2,109. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alliston 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, Alliston makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.