Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,051

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sault Ste. Marie $2,051

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,970 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Sault Ste. Marie $2,970

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,890 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Sault Ste. Marie $3,890

Playa del Carmen is about 41% cheaper than Sault Ste. Marie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Sault Ste. Marie is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$17.15 CA$23.98

-36.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$71.3 CA$99.6

-39.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$10.12 CA$14.15

16.40%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$3.50 CA$4.89

8.86%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$1.63 CA$2.28

-21.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$1.37 CA$1.92

-43.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$4.76 CA$6.65

-33.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$5.11 CA$7.15

-3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.49 CA$3.48

-43.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$2.04 CA$2.85

8.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$3.25 CA$4.54

-56.31%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$2.90 CA$4.06

-13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$8.60 CA$12.01

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$9.74 CA$13.62

-20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$10.42 CA$14.56

21.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.08 CA$4.31

-9.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$1.01 CA$1.41

35.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$3.04 CA$4.25

-16.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$3.38 CA$4.72

-37.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$1.98 CA$2.77

-2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$1.71 CA$2.39

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$2.79 CA$3.91

-58.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$1.25 CA$1.75

-5.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$15.68 CA$21.92

-72.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$10.57 CA$14.77

-5.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$1.85 CA$2.59

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.37 CA$3.31

12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$2.52 CA$3.52

-78.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$57.4 CA$80.3

-53.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$3.48 CA$4.87

42.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$2.40 CA$3.35

38.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$23.76 CA$33.21

-77.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$1.14 CA$1.59

26.32%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$26.6K CA$37.1K

-22.18%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$20.0K CA$28.0K

17.31%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$177 CA$247

-52.03%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$44.21 CA$61.8

-47.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$79.2 CA$111

-63.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$30.85 CA$43.11

84.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$17.68 CA$24.72

63.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$11.37 CA$15.90

-54.79%

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$4,943 CA$6,908

-20.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$45.82 CA$64.0

-5.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$35.41 CA$49.49

17.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$74.3 CA$104

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$117 CA$164

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,055 CA$1,474

-7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$939 CA$1,312

-59.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$1,574 CA$2,200

8.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$1,423 CA$1,989

-24.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$3,358 CA$4,693

17.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

$3,434 CA$4,799

79.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,022 CA$4,224

-75.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.53

107.05%

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 Sault Ste. Marie: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$939 45.8% 147% $558

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Sault Ste. Marie

$297 14.5% 16.5% $42

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Sault Ste. Marie

$256 12.5% 26.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$300 14.6% 119% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sault Ste. Marie

$123 6% 9.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$54 2.6% 20.4% $14

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sault Ste. Marie

$83 4.1% 64.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,055 in Sault Ste. Marie. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sault Ste. Marie are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $71 in Sault Ste. Marie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $297 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

73,368

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sault Ste. Marie 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sault Ste. Marie is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,076 in Sault Ste. Marie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,055 in Sault Ste. Marie. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie. That makes Playa del Carmen about 41% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $71 in Sault Ste. Marie. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Sault Ste. Marie at $2,051. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sault Ste. Marie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,051 in Sault Ste. Marie. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sault Ste. Marie makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.