Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Armstrong

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,351 in Armstrong, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Armstrong
Learn more

Armstrong Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Armstrong

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,351 in Armstrong.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Armstrong $2,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,332 in Armstrong.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Armstrong $3,332

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,313 in Armstrong.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Armstrong $4,313

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 49% less than in Armstrong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Armstrong is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$21.48 CA$30.14

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$75.4 CA$106

-42.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$10.60 CA$14.87

11.13%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.65 CA$5.12

4.38%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.51 CA$3.52

-49.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.72 CA$2.42

-54.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.99 CA$8.41

-47.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$6.48 CA$9.09

-23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.43 CA$3.40

-41.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.43 CA$3.40

-8.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.14 CA$4.40

-54.78%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.65 CA$5.13

-30.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$10.23 CA$14.36

-29.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.35 CA$14.52

-25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$17.32 CA$24.31

-26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.91 CA$5.49

-28.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.41 CA$1.98

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$4.14 CA$5.81

-38.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$4.08 CA$5.73

-48.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.68 CA$3.77

-27.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.28 CA$3.20

-17.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.53 CA$3.56

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.46 CA$2.06

-19.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$12.96 CA$18.19

-66.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$12.95 CA$18.17

-23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$3.29 CA$4.62

-51.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.86 CA$5.42

-30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.29 CA$3.22

-75.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$58.6 CA$82.2

-54.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.10 CA$2.94

136.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.92 CA$2.69

73.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$12.44 CA$17.45

-56.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.31 CA$1.83

9.92%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$25.7K CA$36.1K

-19.60%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$19.8K CA$27.8K

18.65%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$136 CA$191

-37.55%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$28.07 CA$39.39

-16.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$56.0 CA$78.5

-48.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$37.31 CA$52.4

52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$17.08 CA$23.97

69.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$10.51 CA$14.74

-51.09%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$144 CA$201

43.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$3,850 CA$5,403

2.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$60.2 CA$84.4

-27.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$38.14 CA$53.5

8.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$80.7 CA$113

-8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$75.8 CA$106

17.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,096 CA$1,539

-10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,206 CA$1,693

-68.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,825 CA$2,561

-6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,673 CA$2,348

-35.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$4,342 CA$6,093

-9.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$3,765 CA$5,284

63.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.58

150.00%

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 Armstrong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Armstrong

$1.2K 51.3% 217% $825

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Armstrong

$365 15.5% 43.4% $111

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Armstrong

$307 13.1% 51.8% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Armstrong

$220 9.4% 60.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Armstrong

$115 4.9% 2.6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Armstrong

$58 2.5% 13.4% $9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Armstrong

$79 3.4% 57.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,096 in Armstrong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $75 in Armstrong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $365 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Armstrong

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 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 = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Armstrong 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Armstrong

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 Armstrong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,527 in Armstrong to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,096 in Armstrong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Armstrong. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $144 in Armstrong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,351 in Armstrong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Armstrong. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Armstrong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.