Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Burns Lake Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Burns Lake

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,339 in Burns Lake, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,327 in Burns Lake, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,314 in Burns Lake, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 43% cheaper than Burns Lake, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 3% below the global median, while Burns Lake is 71% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$17.62 CA$24.28

-26.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$77.1 CA$106

-39.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$10.19 CA$14.03

23.55%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$3.25 CA$4.47

23.08%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$2.33 CA$3.21

-39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.51 CA$2.08

-46.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$4.75 CA$6.54

-35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$6.38 CA$8.79

6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.22 CA$3.06

-22.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$2.36 CA$3.25

-5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$3.13 CA$4.32

-45.05%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.05 CA$4.20

-11.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$10.15 CA$13.99

-7.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$10.32 CA$14.22

-14.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$14.14 CA$19.49

-9.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.87 CA$5.33

-19.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.19 CA$1.64

30.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$3.80 CA$5.23

-43.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$3.47 CA$4.78

-32.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.66 CA$3.67

-24.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$2.41 CA$3.33

-17.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$2.82 CA$3.88

-56.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$1.40 CA$1.93

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$15.38 CA$21.20

-69.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$12.43 CA$17.12

-15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$3.15 CA$4.34

-49.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$3.69 CA$5.08

-20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$2.67 CA$3.69

-79.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$68.7 CA$94.7

-56.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$2.93 CA$4.04

81.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.37 CA$1.89

171.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$22.71 CA$31.30

-74.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.16 CA$1.60

33.62%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$31.4K CA$43.3K

-28.84%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$17.7K CA$24.4K

44.40%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$142 CA$195

-36.95%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$39.67 CA$54.7

-41.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$56.8 CA$78.3

-44.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$41.76 CA$57.5

64.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$18.49 CA$25.47

59.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$11.31 CA$15.58

-55.26%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$714 CA$984

-68.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$12.4K CA$17.0K

-65.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$51.0 CA$70.3

-9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$37.27 CA$51.4

19.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$97.6 CA$134

-2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$113 CA$156

-18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,292 CA$1,781

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$1,135 CA$1,564

-65.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,992 CA$2,745

-0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$1,715 CA$2,363

-23.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$4,402 CA$6,065

-8.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$3,158 CA$4,351

109.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

4.68

147.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Burns Lake: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,292 in Burns Lake. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $77.0 in Burns Lake. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $343 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Burns Lake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burns Lake costs about 76% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,508 in Burns Lake. 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 24% more in Burns Lake, 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $77.0 in Burns Lake. 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 $1,330, than in Burns Lake at $2,339. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burns Lake it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,330 versus $2,339 in Burns Lake. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burns Lake makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.