Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Joliette

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,717 in Joliette, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Joliette
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Joliette Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Joliette

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,717 in Joliette, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Joliette $1,717

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,639 in Joliette, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Joliette $2,639

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,562 in Joliette, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Joliette $3,562

Playa del Carmen is about 30% cheaper than Joliette, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Joliette is 26% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$18.02 CA$25.32

-39.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$810

$52.9 CA$74.3

-17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$10.71 CA$15.05

9.99%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.2

$2.53 CA$3.56

50.59%

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

$1.28 MX$23.96

$2.06 CA$2.90

-37.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.63

$1.74 CA$2.44

-55.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.2

$4.22 CA$5.94

-24.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.2

$6.44 CA$9.05

-23.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.28

$2.39 CA$3.36

-41.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.43

$2.55 CA$3.58

-12.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.48

$3.02 CA$4.24

-52.98%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.14

$2.54 CA$3.56

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$11.79 CA$16.56

-38.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$11.90 CA$16.71

-35.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$18.70 CA$26.27

-32.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.0

$3.63 CA$5.10

-23.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.56

$1.33 CA$1.86

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.66

$3.88 CA$5.45

-34.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.67

$3.43 CA$4.81

-38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.22

$2.60 CA$3.65

-25.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.24

$2.40 CA$3.37

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.42

$1.61 CA$2.26

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.03

$1.48 CA$2.08

-20.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.3

$14.09 CA$19.80

-69.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$12.46 CA$17.51

-20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.59

$2.53 CA$3.56

-37.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.91

$3.11 CA$4.37

-14.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

$2.20 CA$3.08

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

$58.0 CA$81.5

-54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.9

$2.72 CA$3.82

82.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.2

$1.46 CA$2.05

128.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$19.01 CA$26.71

-71.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.98

$0.97 CA$1.37

48.45%

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

$20.7K MX$386.2K

$27.4K CA$38.6K

-24.70%

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

$23.5K MX$438.5K

$22.5K CA$31.7K

4.07%

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

$84.8 MX$1,584

$141 CA$198

-39.83%

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

$23.41 MX$437

$36.90 CA$51.9

-36.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$535

$50.7 CA$71.2

-43.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,066

$42.60 CA$59.9

33.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

$19.19 CA$26.97

50.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.0

$13.01 CA$18.27

-60.49%

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

$207 MX$3,860

$809 CA$1,137

-74.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.4K

$16.0K CA$22.5K

-75.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$810

$50.5 CA$71.0

-14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$774

$37.12 CA$52.2

11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,386

$87.0 CA$122

-14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,668

$100 CA$141

-11.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$652 CA$916

50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,116

$602 CA$845

-36.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

$1,302 CA$1,829

31.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$1,087 CA$1,527

-1.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

$3,928 CA$5,518

0.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.1K

$3,688 CA$5,181

66.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$2,709 CA$3,806

-72.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.16

175.24%

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 Joliette: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Joliette

$602 35% 58% $221

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Joliette

$362 21.1% 42.1% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Joliette

$256 14.9% 26.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Joliette

$229 13.3% 67% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Joliette

$124 7.2% 10.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Joliette

$69 4% 1.9% $1.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Joliette

$77 4.5% 52.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $652 in Joliette. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Joliette are about 3.7 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 $53 in Joliette. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $362 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Joliette

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

09:05 9:05 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

20,484

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 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 = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 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 Joliette 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Joliette

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 Joliette: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Joliette is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,576 in Joliette. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Joliette, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $652 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $809 in Joliette. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Joliette, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Joliette at $1,717. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Joliette it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,717 in Joliette. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Joliette makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.