Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and High Level

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,168 in High Level, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

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

Cost of Living Index in High Level
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High Level Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

High Level

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,168

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in High Level

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,168 in High Level.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
High Level $2,168

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,250 in High Level.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
High Level $3,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,332 in High Level.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
High Level $4,332

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, High Level is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$19.04 CA$26.71

-42.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$57.0 CA$80.0

-23.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$10.18 CA$14.28

15.72%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.41 CA$4.79

11.73%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.90 CA$2.66

-32.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.83 CA$2.57

-57.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.39 CA$7.57

-41.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$6.29 CA$8.82

-21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.30 CA$3.23

-38.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.85 CA$4.00

-22.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.60 CA$5.05

-60.56%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.62 CA$5.08

-30.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$9.52 CA$13.36

-23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.62 CA$14.90

-27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$14.27 CA$20.02

-11.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.39 CA$4.75

-17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.36 CA$1.91

0.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$3.47 CA$4.86

-26.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$3.73 CA$5.23

-43.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.58 CA$3.62

-24.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.12 CA$2.97

-10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.77 CA$3.88

-58.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.79 CA$2.52

-34.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$14.78 CA$20.74

-70.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$12.93 CA$18.14

-23.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.70 CA$3.79

-41.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.02 CA$4.24

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.22 CA$3.11

-75.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$55.5 CA$77.9

-52.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.59 CA$3.64

91.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.44 CA$2.02

131.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$22.89 CA$32.12

-76.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.13 CA$1.59

27.43%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$31.5K CA$44.2K

-34.41%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$22.4K CA$31.4K

4.97%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$121 CA$170

-30.19%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$40.46 CA$56.8

-42.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$58.1 CA$81.5

-50.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$36.13 CA$50.7

57.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$19.53 CA$27.41

48.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$10.77 CA$15.11

-52.27%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$580 CA$814

-64.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$14.4K CA$20.2K

-72.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$49.88 CA$70.0

-13.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$36.48 CA$51.2

13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$92.9 CA$130

-20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$89.6 CA$126

-0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,288 CA$1,807

-23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,064 CA$1,493

-64.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,988 CA$2,790

-14.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,862 CA$2,614

-42.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$4,808 CA$6,747

-17.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$3,870 CA$5,431

59.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for High Level: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

High Level

$1.1K 49.1% 179% $683

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

High Level

$352 16.3% 38.3% $98

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

High Level

$278 12.8% 37.5% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

High Level

$220 10.2% 60.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

High Level

$121 5.6% 8.3% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

High Level

$58 2.7% 14.3% $9.6

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

High Level

$74 3.4% 47% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,288 in High Level. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $57 in High Level for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $352 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 High Level

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,200

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen High Level 4,850 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
High Level

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 High Level: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,168 in High Level, so Playa del Carmen is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,251 in High Level 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,288 in High Level. 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 $2,168 in High Level – Playa del Carmen is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 52% less than in High Level. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,168 in High Level, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in High Level. 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 High Level. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.