Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Dawson City

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,906 in Dawson City, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Dawson City
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Dawson City Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Dawson City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Dawson City

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,906 in Dawson City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Dawson City $1,906

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,291 in Dawson City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Dawson City $3,291

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,677 in Dawson City, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Dawson City $4,677

Playa del Carmen is about 37% cheaper than Dawson City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Dawson City is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$25.11 CA$35.12

-56.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$102 CA$143

-57.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$10.59 CA$14.82

11.24%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.84 CA$5.37

-0.78%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.74 CA$2.43

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$1.69 CA$2.37

-53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.07 CA$7.10

-37.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$5.68 CA$7.95

-13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$2.63 CA$3.68

-46.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$4.12 CA$5.76

-46.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$4.92 CA$6.87

-71.14%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$5.10 CA$7.13

-50.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$10.27 CA$14.36

-29.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$14.47 CA$20.24

-46.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$14.45 CA$20.21

-12.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.08 CA$5.71

-31.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.43 CA$2.00

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$4.16 CA$5.82

-38.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$4.13 CA$5.77

-48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$2.34 CA$3.27

-17.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$2.20 CA$3.08

-14.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$2.50 CA$3.50

-54.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$1.65 CA$2.31

-28.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$14.02 CA$19.61

-69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$12.81 CA$17.92

-22.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$2.35 CA$3.28

-32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$3.28 CA$4.59

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.17 CA$3.04

-74.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$57.6 CA$80.6

-53.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.90 CA$4.06

71.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.43 CA$2.00

132.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$21.86 CA$30.57

-75.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.22 CA$1.70

18.03%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$27.1K CA$37.9K

-23.78%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$18.7K CA$26.2K

25.33%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$137 CA$192

-38.24%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$39.51 CA$55.3

-40.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$55.1 CA$77.1

-47.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$38.34 CA$53.6

48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$20.44 CA$28.59

41.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$11.14 CA$15.58

-53.86%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$639 CA$894

-67.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$14.2K CA$19.8K

-72.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$64.2 CA$89.8

-32.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$38.97 CA$54.5

6.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$66.9 CA$93.5

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$105 CA$146

-14.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$1,281 CA$1,791

-23.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$679 CA$950

-43.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,030 CA$2,839

-15.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,709 CA$2,390

-37.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$4,203 CA$5,878

-6.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$3,257 CA$4,555

89.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$2,937 CA$4,108

-74.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.68

144.66%

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 Dawson City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Dawson City

$679 35.6% 78.3% $298

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Dawson City

$406 21.3% 59.2% $151

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Dawson City

$329 17.3% 62.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Dawson City

$232 12.2% 69.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Dawson City

$124 6.5% 10.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Dawson City

$61 3.2% 10% $6.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Dawson City

$76 4% 51.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,281 in Dawson City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dawson City are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $102 in Dawson City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $406 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Dawson City

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,375

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Dawson City 6,170 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Dawson City

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 Dawson City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dawson City is pricier by about 58%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,859 in Dawson City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,281 in Dawson City.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $639 in Dawson City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 59% more in Dawson City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Dawson City at $1,906. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dawson City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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