Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hay River, NT

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,243 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Hay River, NT
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Hay River, NT Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Hay River, NT

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,243 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Hay River, NT $2,243

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,217 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Hay River, NT $3,217

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,192 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Hay River, NT $4,192

Playa del Carmen is about 46% cheaper than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Hay River, NT is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$17.96 CA$25.26

-40.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$65.3 CA$91.9

-32.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$10.55 CA$14.84

11.75%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$3.76 CA$5.28

0.80%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$1.98 CA$2.79

-34.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$1.68 CA$2.37

-50.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$5.07 CA$7.13

-37.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

$5.54 CA$7.79

-11.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.10 CA$2.95

-32.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$2.47 CA$3.48

-10.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$3.50 CA$4.92

-58.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$3.45 CA$4.86

-27.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$10.10 CA$14.20

-27.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$11.64 CA$16.38

-31.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$14.78 CA$20.79

-12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$3.81 CA$5.35

-23.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$1.36 CA$1.92

1.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$3.77 CA$5.30

-33.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$3.90 CA$5.48

-47.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$2.45 CA$3.45

-17.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$2.17 CA$3.05

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$2.47 CA$3.47

-53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$1.58 CA$2.22

-21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$14.41 CA$20.27

-70.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$12.85 CA$18.08

-23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$2.84 CA$3.99

-44.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$3.19 CA$4.48

-13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$2.38 CA$3.34

-78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

$63.3 CA$89.0

-56.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$2.86 CA$4.02

66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$1.43 CA$2.01

127.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$23.34 CA$32.83

-76.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$1.22 CA$1.71

25.41%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

$27.9K CA$39.2K

-23.97%

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

7.84%

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$136 CA$191

-38.43%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$38.85 CA$54.6

-40.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$54.2 CA$76.3

-49.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$37.47 CA$52.7

50.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

$18.40 CA$25.88

53.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$10.83 CA$15.23

-53.83%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$641 CA$901

-67.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

$13.5K CA$19.0K

-61.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$55.4 CA$77.8

-21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

$39.28 CA$55.2

8.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$85.3 CA$120

-14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$105 CA$147

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$1,143 CA$1,608

-13.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$1,118 CA$1,572

-65.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$1,980 CA$2,784

-15.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$1,645 CA$2,313

-34.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$4,323 CA$6,079

-9.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

$3,528 CA$4,962

73.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$4,215 CA$5,928

-80.26%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hay River, NT: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Hay River, NT

$1.1K 49.8% 192% $735

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Hay River, NT

$355 15.8% 37.9% $98

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Hay River, NT

$272 12.1% 35.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Hay River, NT

$229 10.2% 70.3% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Hay River, NT

$128 5.7% 15.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Hay River, NT

$59 2.6% 11% $7.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Hay River, NT

$83 3.7% 64.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,143 in Hay River, NT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hay River, NT are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $65 in Hay River, NT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $355 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Hay River, NT

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,600

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Hay River, NT 5,000 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hay River, NT costs about 87% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,364 in Hay River, NT. 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 $995 there versus $1,143 in Hay River, NT.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,243 in Hay River, NT. That makes Playa del Carmen about 46% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Hay River, NT at $2,243. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hay River, NT 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, Hay River, NT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.