Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Markham

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,416 in Markham, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
118

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,416 in Markham.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Markham $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,465 in Markham.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Markham $3,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,514 in Markham.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Markham $4,514

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 50% less than in Markham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Markham is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$17.37 CA$24.69

-38.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$794

$53.4 CA$76.0

-19.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$10.47 CA$14.89

12.61%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.81 CA$5.42

1.57%

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

$1.37 MX$25.26

$1.70 CA$2.42

-19.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.43

$1.17 CA$1.67

-28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.2

$3.59 CA$5.10

-13.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.5

$5.62 CA$7.99

-9.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$1.94 CA$2.76

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.19

$2.22 CA$3.16

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.14

$1.90 CA$2.70

-22.63%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.66

$2.99 CA$4.24

-15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$11.70 CA$16.63

-32.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$6.81 CA$9.67

87.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.5

$3.69 CA$5.25

-21.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.50

$1.26 CA$1.80

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.02

$2.33 CA$3.31

9.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.99

$3.26 CA$4.63

-36.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$2.05 CA$2.92

-2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.03

$1.96 CA$2.79

2.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$21.99

$2.87 CA$4.08

-58.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.20

$1.48 CA$2.11

-14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.3

$13.44 CA$19.10

-67.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$14.53 CA$20.65

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.38

$2.40 CA$3.41

-33.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$3.19 CA$4.54

-11.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.46

$3.04 CA$4.32

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$89.3 CA$127

-68.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.0

$3.31 CA$4.71

50.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.7

$18.60 CA$26.43

-70.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.05

$1.13 CA$1.61

30.09%

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

$21.0K MX$387.4K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

-25.36%

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

$23.9K MX$441.3K

$18.1K CA$25.8K

31.90%

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

$84.2 MX$1,554

$125 CA$178

-32.85%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$26.20 CA$37.24

-8.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$45.69 CA$65.0

-36.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,163

$42.62 CA$60.6

47.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$538

$21.28 CA$30.25

36.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.2

$10.19 CA$14.48

-51.52%

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

$204 MX$3,759

$870 CA$1,236

-76.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$27.5K CA$39.0K

-85.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$805

$43.21 CA$61.4

0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$796

$37.22 CA$52.9

15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,399

$91.1 CA$130

-16.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,635

$105 CA$149

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$1,554 CA$2,209

-35.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,904

$1,391 CA$1,977

-73.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.5K

$2,699 CA$3,836

-36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$2,236 CA$3,177

-50.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.8K

$5,896 CA$8,379

-33.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$113.9K

$5,309 CA$7,546

16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$3,132 CA$4,452

-75.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.56

151.10%

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 Markham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Markham

$1.4K 57.6% 272% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Markham

$279 * 11.5% 7.8% $20

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Markham

$257 10.6% 27% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Markham

$197 8.2% 43.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Markham

$124 5.2% 10.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Markham

$63 2.6% 13.5% $9.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Markham

$105 * 4.3% 99.4% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $1,554 in Markham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays 315% 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 $53.0 in Markham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $279 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Markham

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

338,503

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.42 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.46 MXN (100 MXN = 5.42 USD). 1 EUR = 20.67 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Markham 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Markham

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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Markham. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 315% lower in Markham. 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 $1,554 in Markham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $870 in Markham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,416 in Markham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Markham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Markham are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Markham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.