Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Coquitlam

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,586 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,586 in Coquitlam.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Coquitlam $2,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,784 in Coquitlam.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Coquitlam $3,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,983 in Coquitlam.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Coquitlam $4,983

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 53% less than in Coquitlam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Coquitlam is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$16.62 CA$23.23

-34.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$72.0 CA$101

-39.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$10.68 CA$14.93

10.30%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$3.93 CA$5.49

-3.05%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$2.14 CA$2.99

-40.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$1.68 CA$2.35

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$5.59 CA$7.81

-43.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$6.49 CA$9.07

-24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.40 CA$1.96

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$2.68 CA$3.74

-17.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$2.67 CA$3.73

-46.82%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$3.84 CA$5.37

-34.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$10.04 CA$14.03

-27.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$13.23 CA$18.49

-41.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$20.27 CA$28.33

-37.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$4.00 CA$5.59

-30.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$1.36 CA$1.90

0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$3.68 CA$5.15

-30.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$3.45 CA$4.83

-38.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$1.09 CA$1.52

77.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$2.82 CA$3.94

-32.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$2.63 CA$3.67

-56.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$1.05 CA$1.47

12.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$15.79 CA$22.07

-72.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$12.36 CA$17.27

-19.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$2.59 CA$3.61

-39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.03 CA$4.24

-11.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$2.29 CA$3.20

-75.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$79.0 CA$110

-66.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$2.74 CA$3.83

81.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$1.36 CA$1.90

144.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$24.25 CA$33.89

-77.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.37 CA$1.92

5.11%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$25.9K CA$36.2K

-20.32%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$21.5K CA$30.1K

8.93%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$83.3 CA$116

1.80%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$32.46 CA$45.37

-27.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$51.7 CA$72.3

-44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$14.10 CA$19.71

304.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$10.56 CA$14.76

173.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$10.62 CA$14.84

-51.60%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$388 CA$543

-46.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$11.6K CA$16.3K

-66.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$58.5 CA$81.7

-25.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$34.10 CA$47.67

21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$94.8 CA$132

-21.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$94.4 CA$132

-5.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,814 CA$2,536

-46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$1,530 CA$2,138

-75.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$3,333 CA$4,658

-48.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$2,485 CA$3,472

-56.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$6,088 CA$8,509

-35.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$4,998 CA$6,986

23.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,143 CA$4,393

-76.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.28

167.52%

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 Coquitlam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Coquitlam

$1.5K 59.2% 302% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Coquitlam

$360 13.9% 41.2% $105

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Coquitlam

$268 10.4% 32.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Coquitlam

$167 6.5% 22.4% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Coquitlam

$127 4.9% 13.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Coquitlam

$35 1.4% 47.5% $32

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Coquitlam

$98 3.8% 93.7% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam 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 $72 in Coquitlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $360 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🕒 Local time

13:25 1:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

148,625

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Coquitlam 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Coquitlam

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 Coquitlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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 $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,586 in Coquitlam – Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 66% less than in Coquitlam. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,586 in Coquitlam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. 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 53% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.