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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,205 in Cranbrook.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,026 in Cranbrook.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,846 in Cranbrook.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 43% less than in Cranbrook, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Cranbrook is 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$14.30 CA$20.00

-18.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$69.3 CA$97.0

-32.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.94 CA$13.91

19.52%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.87 CA$5.42

2.84%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.85 CA$2.59

-22.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.84 CA$2.57

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$5.13 CA$7.17

-37.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$5.69 CA$7.96

19.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.85 CA$2.59

-9.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.53 CA$3.53

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$4.44 CA$6.22

-61.49%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.38 CA$4.72

-18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.17 CA$14.23

-5.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$12.44 CA$17.41

-27.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.32 CA$18.63

-3.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.45 CA$4.82

-16.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.37 CA$1.91

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.80 CA$3.91

-23.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.68 CA$6.55

-51.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$3.64 CA$5.09

-45.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$3.16 CA$4.42

-37.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$3.27 CA$4.58

-62.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.77 CA$2.48

-32.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$12.16 CA$17.00

-62.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.47 CA$20.24

-28.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$3.13 CA$4.38

-48.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$3.83 CA$5.35

-24.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$1.42 CA$1.99

-57.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.68 CA$5.15

46.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.86 CA$4.00

30.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$43.53 CA$60.9

-86.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.07 CA$1.49

43.93%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$28.9K CA$40.4K

-21.88%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$22.8K CA$31.9K

14.16%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$180 CA$252

-49.35%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$18.17 CA$25.42

38.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$61.7 CA$86.4

-49.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$28.86 CA$40.37

132.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$14.43 CA$20.18

-66.32%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$903 CA$1,263

-75.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$3,540 CA$4,952

19.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$43.77 CA$61.2

7.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$52.2 CA$73.0

-15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$78.5 CA$110

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$120 CA$168

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,090 CA$1,525

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$1,163 CA$1,627

-66.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,679 CA$2,348

28.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,465 CA$2,050

-13.18%

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

$2,969 CA$4,153

-74.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.85

136.08%

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 Cranbrook: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,090 in Cranbrook. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cranbrook pays 292% 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 $69.0 in Cranbrook for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $372 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 Cranbrook: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Cranbrook. 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 292% lower in Cranbrook. 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 $1,090 in Cranbrook. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $903 in Cranbrook. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $69.0 in Cranbrook. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,205 in Cranbrook, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cranbrook. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Cranbrook. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.