Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canterbury Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Canterbury

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $932 in Canterbury, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,543 in Canterbury, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,155 in Canterbury, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Canterbury, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Playa del Carmen and Canterbury are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Canterbury 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$14.42 NZ$25.22

-19.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$63.0 NZ$110

-25.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$11.72 NZ$20.48

1.37%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.23 NZ$5.65

23.22%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.18 NZ$3.81

-34.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$2.11 NZ$3.69

-61.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$4.15 NZ$7.25

-23.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$6.41 NZ$11.21

5.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.24 NZ$3.91

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$1.98 NZ$3.45

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.74 NZ$3.04

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$5.60 NZ$9.80

-51.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$8.52 NZ$14.89

12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.94 NZ$15.63

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$16.81 NZ$29.39

-23.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.06 NZ$5.36

-5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.29 NZ$4.00

-34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.37 NZ$5.90

-36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$5.13 NZ$8.96

-55.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.94 NZ$3.39

2.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.82 NZ$3.18

9.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$2.34 NZ$4.10

-47.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.61 NZ$1.06

96.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$21.38 NZ$37.38

-78.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.32 NZ$16.29

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.34 NZ$5.83

-51.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.26 NZ$2.21

128.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$5.71 NZ$9.99

-5.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$28.46 NZ$49.76

-79.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.63 NZ$2.85

-5.52%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$25.5K NZ$44.5K

-11.46%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$26.4K NZ$46.2K

-1.43%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$114 NZ$200

-20.05%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$28.91 NZ$50.5

-12.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$52.6 NZ$92.0

-40.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.63 NZ$18.58

-54.28%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$611 NZ$1,068

-63.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$59.9 NZ$105

-21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$22.74 NZ$39.75

94.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$93.0 NZ$162

-13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$141 NZ$246

-34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$909 NZ$1,588

16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

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

$2,772 NZ$4,846

-72.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

186.25%

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 Canterbury: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $909 in Canterbury. 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 266% higher in Canterbury, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $63.0 in Canterbury. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $324 – 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 Canterbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $932 in Canterbury – roughly 36% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,398 in Canterbury. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canterbury, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $63.0 in Canterbury. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Canterbury, where all-in costs run around $932, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Canterbury it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $932 in Canterbury to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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