Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St. Albert, AB

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in St. Albert, AB: $1,210 and $1,167 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in St. Albert, AB
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St. Albert, AB Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

St. Albert, AB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,167

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in St. Albert, AB

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 St. Albert, AB actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,167 in St. Albert, AB, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
St. Albert, AB $1,167

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,457 in St. Albert, AB, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
St. Albert, AB $2,457

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,747 in St. Albert, AB, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
St. Albert, AB $3,747

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than St. Albert, AB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and St. Albert, AB are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, St. Albert, AB 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$19.29 CA$27.42

-44.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$794

$69.2 CA$98.4

-37.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$9.90 CA$14.08

19.09%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.81 CA$5.41

1.57%

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

$1.37 MX$25.26

$2.05 CA$2.92

-33.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.43

$2.00 CA$2.84

-58.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.2

$5.03 CA$7.14

-38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.5

$5.64 CA$8.01

-10.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$1.68 CA$2.39

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.19

$2.18 CA$3.09

2.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.14

$3.04 CA$4.32

-51.64%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.66

$3.46 CA$4.91

-26.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$11.42 CA$16.23

-36.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$11.34 CA$16.12

-30.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$18.19 CA$25.85

-29.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.5

$4.22 CA$5.99

-31.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.50

$1.39 CA$1.97

3.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.02

$4.29 CA$6.09

-40.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$37.99

$3.96 CA$5.62

-47.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$2.63 CA$3.74

-23.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.03

$2.64 CA$3.75

-23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$21.99

$2.57 CA$3.66

-53.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.20

$1.56 CA$2.21

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.3

$13.93 CA$19.80

-68.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$11.72 CA$16.66

-18.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.38

$2.43 CA$3.45

-34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.82 CA$4.01

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.46

$2.03 CA$2.89

-71.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$60.6 CA$86.1

-54.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.0

$2.93 CA$4.16

69.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.36 CA$1.94

157.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.7

$20.90 CA$29.70

-74.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.05

$1.10 CA$1.57

33.64%

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

$21.0K MX$387.4K

$27.3K CA$38.8K

-23.06%

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

$23.9K MX$441.3K

$19.5K CA$27.7K

22.82%

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

$84.2 MX$1,554

$160 CA$228

-47.46%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$38.86 CA$55.2

-38.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$52.6 CA$74.8

-44.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,163

$40.02 CA$56.9

57.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$538

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.2

$12.66 CA$17.99

-60.98%

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

$204 MX$3,759

$748 CA$1,062

-72.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$9,306 CA$13.2K

-57.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$805

$55.7 CA$79.2

-21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$796

$39.02 CA$55.5

10.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,399

$83.3 CA$118

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,635

$110 CA$157

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,904

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.5K

$1,334 CA$1,896

28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$1,124 CA$1,597

-1.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.8K

$2,488 CA$3,536

58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$113.9K

$2,492 CA$3,542

147.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$3,157 CA$4,486

-76.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.51

153.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for St. Albert, AB: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

St. Albert, AB

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

St. Albert, AB

$360 30.8% 39.2% $101

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

St. Albert, AB

$282 24.2% 39.6% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

St. Albert, AB

$252 21.6% 83.5% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

St. Albert, AB

$130 11.1% 14.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

St. Albert, AB

$65 5.6% 10.3% $7.5

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

St. Albert, AB

$78 6.7% 49.2% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 319% higher in St. Albert, AB, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.0 in St. Albert, AB. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $360 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 St. Albert, AB

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

18:40 6:40 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

68,232

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.42 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.46 MXN (100 MXN = 5.42 USD). 1 EUR = 20.67 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen St. Albert, AB 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
St. Albert, AB

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 St. Albert, AB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,751 in St. Albert, AB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,167 in St. Albert, AB. That's a gap of about 4%.

Public transport costs about 118% less in St. Albert, AB. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in St. Albert, AB, where all-in costs run around $1,167, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In St. Albert, AB it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St. Albert, AB – 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 St. Albert, AB. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.