Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint John, New Brunswick

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
Learn more

Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,954

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Saint John, New Brunswick $1,954

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,938 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Saint John, New Brunswick $2,938

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,922 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Saint John, New Brunswick $3,922

Playa del Carmen is about 38% cheaper than Saint John, New Brunswick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Saint John, New Brunswick is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$18.44 CA$26.08

-41.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$61.0 CA$86.2

-27.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$10.83 CA$15.31

8.59%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.96 CA$4.18

24.32%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.77 CA$2.50

-24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.07 CA$1.52

-23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$4.49 CA$6.35

-31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.00 CA$7.06

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.23 CA$3.16

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.81 CA$3.97

-21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.99 CA$4.23

-50.50%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.56 CA$5.03

-30.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$13.47 CA$19.05

-44.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$12.04 CA$17.02

-33.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$12.83 CA$18.14

-2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$5.00 CA$7.07

-44.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.48 CA$2.10

-3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$4.16 CA$5.88

-37.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$4.03 CA$5.70

-46.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.03 CA$2.86

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.21 CA$3.12

-9.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.48 CA$3.50

-54.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.38 CA$1.95

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$14.23 CA$20.12

-70.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$9.67 CA$13.67

3.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.78 CA$2.52

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.08 CA$2.93

27.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.09 CA$2.95

-74.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$56.4 CA$79.8

-51.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.81 CA$3.97

74.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.05 CA$1.48

226.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$17.60 CA$24.89

-69.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.28 CA$1.80

13.28%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$26.4K CA$37.3K

-19.77%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$21.4K CA$30.3K

7.42%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$122 CA$173

-30.08%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$42.20 CA$59.7

-44.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$64.5 CA$91.2

-55.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$53.3 CA$75.4

16.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$35.52 CA$50.2

-19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$12.61 CA$17.83

-59.56%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$372 CA$526

-45.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$11.3K CA$16.0K

-65.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$50.5 CA$71.4

-12.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$35.95 CA$50.8

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$101 CA$143

-27.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$107 CA$151

-15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$966 CA$1,366

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$826 CA$1,168

-54.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,609 CA$2,275

4.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,353 CA$1,913

-19.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,035 CA$2,876

94.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,131 CA$3,013

187.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$2,596 CA$3,670

-71.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.69

144.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$826 42.3% 122% $453

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$356 18.2% 37.7% $97

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$259 13.3% 29.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$229 11.7% 66.7% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$132 6.8% 18.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$79 4% 8.5% $6.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.7% 40.9% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $966 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 252% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $61.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $356 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

70,063

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Saint John, New Brunswick 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Saint John, New Brunswick

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 Saint John, New Brunswick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John, New Brunswick is pricier by about 62%, 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 $2,930 in Saint John, New Brunswick. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,954 in Saint John, New Brunswick. That's a gap of about 62%.

Public transport costs about 105% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Saint John, New Brunswick at $1,954. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John, New Brunswick it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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