Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Grimsby

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,254 in Grimsby, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Grimsby
Learn more

Grimsby Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Grimsby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,254

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 in Grimsby.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Grimsby $2,254

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,321 in Grimsby.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Grimsby $3,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,388 in Grimsby.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Grimsby $4,388

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 46% less than in Grimsby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Grimsby is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$17.58 CA$24.85

-38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$70.6 CA$99.8

-39.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$10.41 CA$14.71

13.26%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.35 CA$4.73

15.52%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.88 CA$2.66

-27.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.52 CA$2.14

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$5.64 CA$7.97

-45.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$6.17 CA$8.73

-17.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$2.56 CA$3.62

-43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$2.84 CA$4.01

-21.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$3.32 CA$4.70

-55.72%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$3.52 CA$4.97

-28.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$9.19 CA$13.00

-20.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$10.23 CA$14.46

-23.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$13.44 CA$18.99

-4.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$3.41 CA$4.82

-14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.45 CA$2.05

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$2.65 CA$3.74

-3.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.90 CA$4.09

-28.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.87 CA$2.64

6.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.88 CA$2.66

6.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.05 CA$2.90

-41.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$1.46 CA$2.07

-13.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$13.37 CA$18.91

-67.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$10.42 CA$14.73

-7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.77 CA$3.91

-42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.63 CA$3.72

6.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$2.45 CA$3.46

-76.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$55.2 CA$78.0

-49.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$4.87 CA$6.88

2.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$2.51 CA$3.55

39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$41.39 CA$58.5

-86.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.15 CA$1.63

27.83%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$28.0K CA$39.6K

-25.12%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$18.4K CA$26.0K

29.97%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$143 CA$203

-41.30%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$43.19 CA$61.1

-44.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$66.9 CA$94.5

-56.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$39.73 CA$56.2

58.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$18.85 CA$26.65

54.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$8.86 CA$12.52

-44.24%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$1,022 CA$1,445

-80.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$17.0K CA$24.0K

-76.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$69.4 CA$98.1

-37.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$38.37 CA$54.2

12.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$96.6 CA$137

-21.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$96.4 CA$136

-8.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$1,169 CA$1,653

-13.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$1,133 CA$1,602

-66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$1,917 CA$2,710

-10.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$1,848 CA$2,613

-40.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$4,532 CA$6,406

-12.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$3,743 CA$5,292

64.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$4,334 CA$6,127

-82.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.52

153.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Grimsby: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Grimsby

$1.1K 50.3% 203% $759

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Grimsby

$326 14.5% 26.2% $68

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Grimsby

$266 11.8% 31.6% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Grimsby

$254 11.3% 84.8% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Grimsby

$135 6% 19.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Grimsby

$57 2.6% 21.2% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Grimsby

$82 3.7% 56.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $1,169 in Grimsby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimsby pays 475% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $71.0 in Grimsby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $326 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Grimsby

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

28,883

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Grimsby 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Grimsby

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 Grimsby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Grimsby differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,210 vs $2,254 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 475% lower in Grimsby. 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,169 in Grimsby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $71.0 in Grimsby. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 in Grimsby – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 in Grimsby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grimsby. 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 86% less than in Grimsby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.