Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Owen Sound

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,042 in Owen Sound, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Owen Sound
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Owen Sound Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Owen Sound

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Owen Sound

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,042 in Owen Sound.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Owen Sound $2,042

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,127 in Owen Sound.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Owen Sound $3,127

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,212 in Owen Sound.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Owen Sound $4,212

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 41% less than in Owen Sound, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Owen Sound is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$14.32 CA$20.09

-23.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$47.61 CA$66.8

-8.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$9.19 CA$12.90

28.18%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.58 CA$5.02

6.42%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.12 CA$2.98

-39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.75 CA$2.46

-55.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$4.33 CA$6.07

-26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$5.76 CA$8.09

-14.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.43 CA$3.41

-41.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.75 CA$3.87

-19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.51 CA$4.93

-59.54%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$4.36 CA$6.12

-42.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$9.87 CA$13.85

-26.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$16.08 CA$22.57

-52.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$23.97 CA$33.64

-47.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.36 CA$4.72

-17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.85 CA$2.60

-25.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$3.25 CA$4.56

-21.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$2.84 CA$3.98

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.39 CA$3.35

-18.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.63 CA$3.69

-28.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.18 CA$3.06

-47.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.28 CA$1.79

-7.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$13.67 CA$19.19

-68.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$13.75 CA$19.30

-27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$4.58 CA$6.43

-65.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$4.88 CA$6.85

-45.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.10 CA$2.95

-73.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$62.0 CA$87.0

-57.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$4.54 CA$6.37

9.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$25.08 CA$35.19

-78.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.12 CA$1.57

28.57%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$26.8K CA$37.6K

-22.86%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$21.7K CA$30.5K

7.89%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$89.7 CA$126

-5.48%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$29.11 CA$40.85

-19.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$47.43 CA$66.6

-39.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$116 CA$162

-50.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$41.66 CA$58.5

-30.60%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$7.77 CA$10.91

-33.85%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$478 CA$672

-56.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$7,258 CA$10.2K

-45.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$35.42 CA$49.71

22.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$27.63 CA$38.78

49.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$86.9 CA$122

-14.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$108 CA$151

-17.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,341 CA$1,882

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$903 CA$1,268

-57.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,200 CA$3,087

-22.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,634 CA$2,293

-34.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$2,971 CA$4,169

-75.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.26

117.68%

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 Owen Sound: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Owen Sound

$903 44.2% 137% $523

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Owen Sound

$417 20.4% 63.7% $162

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Owen Sound

$234 11.4% 15.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Owen Sound

$166 8.1% 21.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Owen Sound

$116 5.7% 3.9% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Owen Sound

$131 6.4% 94.7% $64

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Owen Sound

$75 * 3.7% 48.5% $24

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 $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,341 in Owen Sound. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Owen Sound pays about 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 $48 in Owen Sound for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $417 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Owen Sound

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

22:16 10:16 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

21,341

💱 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 29, 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 29, 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 Owen Sound 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Owen Sound

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 Owen Sound: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,341 in Owen Sound. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $48 in Owen Sound. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,042 in Owen Sound – Playa del Carmen is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,042 in Owen Sound, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Owen Sound. 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 41% less than in Owen Sound. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.