Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mississauga

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,596 in Mississauga, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mississauga, Canada
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Mississauga
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,596
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,596 in Mississauga.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Mississauga $2,596

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,763 in Mississauga.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Mississauga $3,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,929 in Mississauga.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Mississauga $4,929

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 54% less than in Mississauga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Mississauga is 91% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$16.60 CA$23.20
-34.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$71.0 CA$99.2
-38.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$10.56 CA$14.76
11.55%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$3.67 CA$5.13
3.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.81 CA$2.53
-29.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$1.53 CA$2.14
-49.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$5.54 CA$7.74
-42.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$5.63 CA$7.87
-12.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$2.84 CA$3.97
-50.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$2.76 CA$3.85
-19.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$2.55 CA$3.57
-44.31%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$4.48 CA$6.26
-43.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$11.03 CA$15.41
-34.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$11.36 CA$15.87
-32.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$12.83 CA$17.93
-1.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$3.32 CA$4.64
-16.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$1.50 CA$2.09
-8.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$3.48 CA$4.86
-26.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$4.20 CA$5.87
-49.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$1.68 CA$2.34
15.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$2.36 CA$3.30
-19.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$2.25 CA$3.15
-48.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$1.55 CA$2.17
-23.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$14.82 CA$20.71
-70.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$13.02 CA$18.19
-23.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$2.36 CA$3.30
-33.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$2.64 CA$3.70
1.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$2.87 CA$4.00
-80.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$100 CA$140
-73.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$3.07 CA$4.29
61.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$1.24 CA$1.74
168.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$21.10 CA$29.50
-74.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.20 CA$1.67
20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$27.7K CA$38.7K
-25.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$22.0K CA$30.8K
6.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$139 CA$195
-39.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$35.38 CA$49.45
-33.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$44.49 CA$62.2
-35.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$36.43 CA$50.9
56.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
$35.11 CA$49.06
-17.66%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$11.20 CA$15.65
-54.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$348 CA$487
-40.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$10.6K CA$14.9K
-63.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$43.44 CA$60.7
-0.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$38.35 CA$53.6
8.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$87.2 CA$122
-14.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$106 CA$148
-15.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$1,686 CA$2,357
-41.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$1,460 CA$2,040
-73.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$2,533 CA$3,540
-32.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$2,305 CA$3,221
-53.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$7,138 CA$9,976
-44.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$5,422 CA$7,578
13.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Mississauga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$3,244 CA$4,534
-77.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.55
151.65%

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 Mississauga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Mississauga
$1.5K 283% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Mississauga
$353 38.7% $99
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Mississauga
$261 28.9% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Mississauga
$219 60.1% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Mississauga
$124 10.7% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Mississauga
$59 12.6% $8.5
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Mississauga
$121 139% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,686 in Mississauga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mississauga pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $71 in Mississauga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $353 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇨🇦 Mississauga
🕒 Local time
18:31 6:31 PM
18:31 6:31 PM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
721,599
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Mississauga 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Mississauga

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 Mississauga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Mississauga?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,596 in Mississauga, so Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Mississauga?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,686 in Mississauga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $71 in Mississauga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Mississauga?
All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,596 in Mississauga – Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,596 in Mississauga, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mississauga. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Mississauga?
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.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Mississauga?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Mississauga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?