Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Burnaby

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,678 in Burnaby, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,678 in Burnaby.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Burnaby $2,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,827 in Burnaby.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Burnaby $3,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,976 in Burnaby.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Burnaby $4,976

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 55% less than in Burnaby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Burnaby is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$21.23 CA$29.79

-48.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$86.5 CA$121

-49.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$9.53 CA$13.37

23.61%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.67 CA$6.56

-18.42%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.45 CA$3.44

-47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.80 CA$2.52

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$8.57 CA$12.03

-63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$6.18 CA$8.67

-20.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.34 CA$3.28

-39.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.76 CA$3.88

-19.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.52 CA$4.95

-59.66%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.17 CA$4.45

-20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$14.05 CA$19.72

-48.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$14.07 CA$19.75

-45.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$25.31 CA$35.52

-49.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.42 CA$6.20

-37.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.28 CA$1.80

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$4.61 CA$6.47

-44.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$4.61 CA$6.48

-54.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.81 CA$3.95

-30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$3.54 CA$4.96

-46.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.74 CA$3.84

-58.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$2.10 CA$2.95

-43.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$14.23 CA$19.96

-69.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$13.39 CA$18.79

-25.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.05 CA$2.88

-22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.33 CA$3.27

14.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.54 CA$3.56

-78.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$81.6 CA$115

-67.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.88 CA$4.04

72.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.51 CA$2.12

120.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$26.45 CA$37.12

-79.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.37 CA$1.92

5.11%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$28.5K CA$40.1K

-27.60%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

12.03%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$126 CA$177

-32.84%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$44.96 CA$63.1

-47.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$52.7 CA$74.0

-45.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$31.23 CA$43.83

82.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$10.52 CA$14.77

174.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$14.23 CA$19.97

-63.88%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$649 CA$910

-68.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$52.2 CA$73.3

-16.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$51.4 CA$72.1

-19.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$103 CA$145

-28.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$79.0 CA$111

12.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,693 CA$2,376

-42.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,406 CA$1,973

-72.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,623 CA$3,681

-34.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,985 CA$2,786

-45.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$6,886 CA$9,663

-42.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$5,338 CA$7,491

15.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$3,149 CA$4,419

-76.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.76

140.55%

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 Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5% 269% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Burnaby

$431 16.1% 69.1% $176

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Burnaby

$327 12.2% 61.4% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Burnaby

$224 8.4% 63.6% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Burnaby

$129 4.8% 15.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Burnaby

$60 2.2% 11.3% $7.6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Burnaby

$102 3.8% 103% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $87 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $431 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

15:16 3:16 PM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

249,125

💱 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 Burnaby 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Burnaby

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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,678 in Burnaby, so Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $649 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,678 in Burnaby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. 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 55% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.