Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Picton Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Picton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Picton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,731 in Picton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,415 in Picton.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Picton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Picton 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$18.34 CA$25.44

-34.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$70.5 CA$97.8

-32.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.32 CA$10.15

60.52%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.60 CA$4.99

14.44%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.17 CA$3.01

-35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.70 CA$2.36

-46.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$5.64 CA$7.82

-43.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.87 CA$8.14

20.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.72 CA$2.39

-2.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.12 CA$2.94

1.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.53 CA$3.50

-30.04%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.95 CA$4.09

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.09 CA$13.99

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$12.21 CA$16.94

-24.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$15.82 CA$21.94

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.80 CA$3.89

5.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.27 CA$1.76

24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.76 CA$5.21

-40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$4.22 CA$5.85

-44.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.85 CA$2.57

7.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.48 CA$2.06

33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.36 CA$3.27

-47.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.25 CA$1.73

-3.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$14.30 CA$19.83

-67.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.55 CA$20.18

-27.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.22 CA$3.08

-23.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.55 CA$3.54

8.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$2.14 CA$2.97

-71.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$19.66 CA$27.26

51.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.03 CA$4.21

72.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.31 CA$1.81

178.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$22.32 CA$30.96

-74.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.09 CA$1.51

41.28%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$27.2K CA$37.7K

-16.03%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$21.2K CA$29.4K

21.75%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$128 CA$177

-28.95%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$29.09 CA$40.35

-13.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$48.34 CA$67.1

-34.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$43.58 CA$60.5

57.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.67 CA$12.02

-43.94%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$291 CA$404

-22.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$24.9K CA$34.6K

-83.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$51.3 CA$71.2

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.98 CA$49.90

20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$88.6 CA$123

-9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$122 CA$169

-25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,026 CA$1,422

5.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,696 CA$2,352

16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$3,866 CA$5,362

4.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$3,230 CA$4,480

-76.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.47

156.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Picton: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,026 in Picton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Picton pays 318% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $71.0 in Picton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $335 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Picton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Picton differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,047 including rent). Picton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 318% lower in Picton. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,026 in Picton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Picton – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Picton – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,047 in Picton versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Picton but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Picton 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Picton 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 Picton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.