Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,188 in Edmonton, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Edmonton, Canada
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Edmonton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,188
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,188 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Edmonton $2,188

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,196 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Edmonton $3,196

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,203 in Edmonton, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Edmonton $4,203

Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Edmonton is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$19.92 CA$27.95
-45.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$78.2 CA$110
-44.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$10.14 CA$14.23
16.17%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$3.96 CA$5.56
-3.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$2.34 CA$3.28
-45.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$2.03 CA$2.84
-61.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$5.76 CA$8.08
-44.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$6.34 CA$8.90
-22.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.62 CA$2.27
-12.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$2.15 CA$3.02
3.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$3.03 CA$4.26
-53.14%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$3.58 CA$5.03
-29.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$10.77 CA$15.11
-32.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$11.31 CA$15.88
-31.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$18.80 CA$26.39
-32.50%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$4.13 CA$5.79
-32.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.40 CA$1.96
-2.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$4.24 CA$5.95
-39.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$3.95 CA$5.54
-46.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.13 CA$2.98
-8.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.79 CA$2.52
5.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$2.48 CA$3.48
-53.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$1.79 CA$2.51
-34.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$14.32 CA$20.10
-69.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$11.58 CA$16.25
-14.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$3.45 CA$4.85
-54.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$2.98 CA$4.18
-10.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$2.64 CA$3.71
-79.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$72.9 CA$102
-63.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$2.87 CA$4.02
73.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.42 CA$1.99
134.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$20.99 CA$29.45
-74.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.18 CA$1.66
22.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$27.5K CA$38.6K
-24.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$20.7K CA$29.1K
13.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$231 CA$324
-63.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$43.33 CA$60.8
-45.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$54.8 CA$77.0
-47.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$43.95 CA$61.7
29.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$18.43 CA$25.86
56.86%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$12.60 CA$17.69
-59.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$626 CA$879
-67.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$9,741 CA$13.7K
-59.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$44.27 CA$62.1
-2.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$47.59 CA$66.8
-12.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$87.9 CA$123
-15.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$97.1 CA$136
-8.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$1,088 CA$1,527
-10.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$913 CA$1,281
-58.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,720 CA$2,413
-0.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,382 CA$1,939
-22.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$2,243 CA$3,148
75.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$1,946 CA$2,732
216.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Edmonton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$3,428 CA$4,811
-78.57%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Edmonton
$913 140% $532
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Edmonton
$363 42.5% $108
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Edmonton
$296 46.4% $94
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Edmonton
$329 140% $192
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Edmonton
$125 11.5% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Edmonton
$69 2.7% $1.8
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Edmonton
$93 85.3% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,088 in Edmonton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Edmonton are about 4.7 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 $78 in Edmonton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $363 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇨🇦 Edmonton
🕒 Local time
17:12 5:12 PM
16:12 4:12 PM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,010,899
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Edmonton 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Edmonton

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 Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Edmonton compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,188 in Edmonton – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Edmonton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,282 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Edmonton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,088 in Edmonton.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Edmonton?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,188 in Edmonton. That makes Playa del Carmen about 45% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Edmonton?
Public transport costs about 63% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Edmonton at $2,188. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edmonton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Playa del Carmen or Edmonton?
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.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Edmonton?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Edmonton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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