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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Cochrane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,461 in Cochrane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,831 in Cochrane.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cochrane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cochrane 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$18.30 CA$25.32

-36.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$72.4 CA$100

-35.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$10.00 CA$13.84

16.50%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.83 CA$5.30

6.79%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$2.29 CA$3.16

-40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.74 CA$2.40

-52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$5.69 CA$7.87

-41.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$5.67 CA$7.85

21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.61 CA$2.23

7.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$2.15 CA$2.98

5.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$2.95 CA$4.08

-40.00%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$3.18 CA$4.41

-14.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.80 CA$12.18

4.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.60 CA$11.89

3.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$8.86 CA$12.26

42.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$4.41 CA$6.10

-31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.35 CA$1.87

16.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$4.46 CA$6.17

-52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$1.47 CA$2.03

53.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.46 CA$2.02

36.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.91 CA$2.64

7.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$2.50 CA$3.45

-52.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.91 CA$2.64

-37.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$14.38 CA$19.90

-67.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.62 CA$11.92

24.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$3.23 CA$4.47

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.88 CA$3.99

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$3.66 CA$5.07

-84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.88 CA$3.99

89.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.37 CA$1.90

170.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$21.58 CA$29.87

-72.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.04 CA$1.44

49.04%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$28.2K CA$39.0K

-20.87%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$19.8K CA$27.4K

31.04%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$213 CA$295

-58.13%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$41.63 CA$57.6

-39.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$55.8 CA$77.2

-43.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$46.16 CA$63.9

46.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$13.37 CA$18.51

-62.23%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$792 CA$1,096

-71.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$9,939 CA$13.8K

-57.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$46.07 CA$63.8

2.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$47.71 CA$66.0

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$84.4 CA$117

-2.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$96.6 CA$134

-4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,251 CA$1,731

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,796 CA$2,485

7.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,393 CA$1,927

-6.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$23.5K CA$32.5K

-83.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$4,179 CA$5,782

-82.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.32

165.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cochrane: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,251 in Cochrane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cochrane pays 458% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $72.0 in Cochrane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $294 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 Cochrane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cochrane wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cochrane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 458% lower in Cochrane. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,251 in Cochrane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Cochrane – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,092 in Cochrane versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cochrane but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cochrane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cochrane delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,092 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cochrane hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cochrane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.