Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Elliot Lake, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Elliot Lake, ON
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Elliot Lake, ON Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Elliot Lake, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Elliot Lake, ON

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 Elliot Lake, ON actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Elliot Lake, ON $2,324

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,241 in Elliot Lake, ON.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Elliot Lake, ON $3,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,158 in Elliot Lake, ON.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Elliot Lake, ON $4,158

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% less than in Elliot Lake, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Elliot Lake, ON is 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$17.76 CA$25.11

-38.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$64.8 CA$91.7

-31.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$10.57 CA$14.94

11.26%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.70 CA$5.23

-0.54%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.98 CA$2.80

-32.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.62 CA$2.29

-49.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$5.21 CA$7.36

-41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.65 CA$7.98

-12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.30 CA$3.25

-36.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.55 CA$3.60

-12.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$3.04 CA$4.30

-51.32%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.17 CA$4.48

-21.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.28 CA$14.53

-26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$12.93 CA$18.28

-38.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$16.33 CA$23.08

-23.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.87 CA$5.47

-28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.26 CA$1.78

13.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.51 CA$4.97

-25.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.92 CA$5.54

-45.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.73 CA$3.86

-26.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.99 CA$2.81

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.43 CA$3.43

-53.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.79 CA$2.53

-32.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$14.18 CA$20.04

-69.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$12.80 CA$18.10

-21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.42 CA$3.42

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.91 CA$4.12

-8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.25 CA$3.18

-76.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$64.7 CA$91.4

-57.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.95 CA$4.17

66.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.40 CA$1.98

145.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$23.73 CA$33.55

-77.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.07 CA$1.52

35.51%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$25.8K CA$36.4K

-17.93%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$23.2K CA$32.8K

-0.88%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$150 CA$212

-43.19%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$32.88 CA$46.48

-28.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$55.6 CA$78.6

-48.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$44.30 CA$62.6

40.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$20.25 CA$28.63

41.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$10.01 CA$14.15

-49.05%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$628 CA$887

-67.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$11.6K CA$16.4K

-65.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$56.7 CA$80.2

-21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$40.46 CA$57.2

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$92.9 CA$131

-21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$107 CA$151

-16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,394 CA$1,971

-29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,169 CA$1,652

-68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,224 CA$3,145

-24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,560 CA$2,206

-29.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$4,250 CA$6,009

-7.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$3,892 CA$5,502

57.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.67

145.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Elliot Lake, ON: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Elliot Lake, ON

$1.2K 50.3% 214% $796

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Elliot Lake, ON

$365 15.7% 41.4% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Elliot Lake, ON

$270 11.6% 34.8% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Elliot Lake, ON

$239 10.3% 73.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Elliot Lake, ON

$134 5.8% 19.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Elliot Lake, ON

$64 2.8% 11.2% $8.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Elliot Lake, ON

$84 3.6% 61.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,394 in Elliot Lake, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $65.0 in Elliot Lake, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $365 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Elliot Lake, ON

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

11:05 11:05 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

10,741

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Elliot Lake, ON 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Elliot Lake, ON

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 Elliot Lake, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,487 in Elliot Lake, ON to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,394 in Elliot Lake, ON. 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 $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 135% less than in Elliot Lake, ON. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,324 in Elliot Lake, ON, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Elliot Lake, ON. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Elliot Lake, ON, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Elliot Lake, ON. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.