Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canary Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canary Islands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,677 in Canary Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,441 in Canary Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,204 in Canary Islands.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Canary Islands, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Canary Islands is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$20.59 €17.95

-43.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$63.3 €55.2

-25.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$10.10 €8.81

17.62%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.04 €1.78

95.10%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.93 €1.68

-25.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.13 €0.99

-27.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.97 €2.59

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.41 €2.97

99.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.28 €1.12

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.44 €2.13

-9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.59 €1.39

7.55%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.27 €1.98

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$20.36 €17.75

-52.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.44 €9.10

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$18.29 €15.95

-29.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.73 €2.38

5.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.44 €2.12

-38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.23 €1.94

-3.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.67 €2.33

-15.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.15 €1.88

-7.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.08 €1.81

-4.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.76 €1.53

-30.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.95 €0.83

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.90 €4.27

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.17 €7.12

26.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.68 €1.46

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.73 €1.51

66.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.83 €0.73

-27.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$4.42 €3.85

21.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.71 €1.49

118.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$17.64 €15.38

-67.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.59 €1.38

-3.14%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$25.2K €22.0K

-10.51%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$29.4K €25.6K

-11.39%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$129 €113

-29.28%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$22.23 €19.37

13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$36.88 €32.15

-15.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$48.13 €41.96

39.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$24.74 €21.56

17.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.28 €8.96

-52.72%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$410 €357

-45.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,169 €4,505

-18.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$69.7 €60.7

-32.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$39.95 €34.82

10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$93.9 €81.9

-14.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$116 €101

-20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,153 €1,005

-7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$706 €615

-44.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$867 €755

46.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,458 €1,271

-48.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.33

243.84%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Canary Islands: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,153 in Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 92% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $63.0 in Canary Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $329 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Canary Islands. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,153 in Canary Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Canary Islands. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,677 in Canary Islands – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,677 in Canary Islands, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Canary Islands are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.