Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Duncan BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,161 in Duncan BC, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Duncan BC
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Duncan BC Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Duncan BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Duncan BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,161 in Duncan BC.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Duncan BC $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,358 in Duncan BC.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Duncan BC $3,358

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,555 in Duncan BC.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Duncan BC $4,555

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Duncan BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Duncan BC is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$198

$17.85 CA$24.97

-40.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$813

$70.8 CA$98.9

-38.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$10.56 CA$14.76

11.65%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.3

$3.95 CA$5.52

-4.05%

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

$1.30 MX$24.09

$2.15 CA$3.01

-39.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.48

$1.70 CA$2.38

-51.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.4

$5.49 CA$7.68

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.6

$5.78 CA$8.09

-14.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.16

$1.64 CA$2.30

-14.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.77

$2.65 CA$3.70

-16.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.35

$4.40 CA$6.15

-66.59%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.37

$4.08 CA$5.71

-38.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$135

$11.96 CA$16.73

-39.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$13.19 CA$18.44

-39.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$14.02 CA$19.61

-8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.8

$3.91 CA$5.46

-25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.69

$1.39 CA$1.94

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.26

$3.67 CA$5.13

-32.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.70

$3.98 CA$5.57

-48.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.61

$2.77 CA$3.87

-27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.35

$2.95 CA$4.12

-35.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.25

$2.54 CA$3.55

-55.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.01

$1.57 CA$2.20

-21.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.3

$13.72 CA$19.18

-68.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$182

$11.71 CA$16.37

-16.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.45

$2.54 CA$3.55

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.0

$2.84 CA$3.97

-3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.56

$1.83 CA$2.56

-72.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$509

$39.92 CA$55.8

-31.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.4

$2.62 CA$3.66

81.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.3

$1.63 CA$2.27

99.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$30.31 CA$42.39

-82.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.38

$1.23 CA$1.72

24.39%

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

$21.2K MX$393.9K

$26.4K CA$36.9K

-19.59%

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

$23.3K MX$432.0K

$21.2K CA$29.6K

9.77%

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

$83.5 MX$1,550

$87.4 CA$122

-4.51%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$35.93 CA$50.2

-35.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$513

$51.5 CA$72.0

-46.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,048

$61.3 CA$85.7

-7.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$524

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$92.9

$12.53 CA$17.53

-60.10%

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

$207 MX$3,846

$1,082 CA$1,514

-80.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.1K

$18.6K CA$26.0K

-71.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$807

$57.7 CA$80.6

-24.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$790

$33.54 CA$46.90

26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,351

$91.6 CA$128

-20.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,641

$92.0 CA$129

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,321 CA$1,847

-24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,102

$1,074 CA$1,502

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.1K

$2,553 CA$3,570

-34.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,019 CA$2,824

-46.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.6K

$4,345 CA$6,076

-10.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.0K

$3,638 CA$5,087

68.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$3,096 CA$4,329

-73.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.24

170.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Duncan BC: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Duncan BC

$1.1K 49.7% 181% $691

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Duncan BC

$368 17% 43% $111

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Duncan BC

$276 12.8% 38% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Duncan BC

$175 8.1% 30.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Duncan BC

$124 5.7% 11.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Duncan BC

$86 4% 30% $20

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Duncan BC

$58 2.7% 15% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duncan BC pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $71 in Duncan BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $368 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Duncan BC

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

10:51 10:51 AM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

22,199

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.639 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.639 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Duncan BC 4,510 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Duncan BC

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 Duncan BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,321 in Duncan BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Duncan BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44 versus $71 in Duncan BC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,161 in Duncan BC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Duncan BC. 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 44% less than in Duncan BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.