Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sydney, NS $1,614

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,535 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Sydney, NS $2,535

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,456 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Sydney, NS $3,456

Playa del Carmen is about 25% cheaper than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Sydney, NS is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$11.13 CA$15.74

-2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$62.3 CA$88.0

-29.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.16 CA$10.12

64.25%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.87 CA$4.06

28.22%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.33 CA$3.30

-42.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$2.07 CA$2.92

-60.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.15 CA$3.04

-31.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.56 CA$3.61

-13.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.41 CA$3.41

-38.59%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.32 CA$4.69

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$6.27 CA$8.87

19.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$8.23 CA$11.63

-3.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$12.99 CA$18.36

-3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$7.01 CA$9.91

-60.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.16 CA$1.63

23.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.38 CA$1.95

55.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.84 CA$1.18

140.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.90 CA$2.68

4.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$6.30 CA$8.90

-81.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$17.78 CA$25.14

-76.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$4.18 CA$5.92

-36.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.08 CA$1.53

-50.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$48.48 CA$68.5

-43.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$4.15 CA$5.87

18.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.20 CA$1.70

20.83%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

-17.82%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

20.20%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$86.3 CA$122

-1.08%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$36.04 CA$51.0

-34.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$73.3 CA$104

-61.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$49.94 CA$70.6

24.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$3.45 CA$4.88

731.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$7.04 CA$9.96

-27.56%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$721 CA$1,020

-72.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$68.1 CA$96.3

-34.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$67.2 CA$95.1

-38.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$99.7 CA$141

-27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$105 CA$148

-14.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$893 CA$1,262

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$724 CA$1,024

-48.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,753 CA$2,479

-4.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,374 CA$1,943

-20.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$2,527 CA$3,573

-70.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.8

97.41%

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 Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 94.3% $351

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 0.3% $0.7

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 18.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 42.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 37.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 11.6% $8.4

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 10.2% $5.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Sydney, NS. 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 243% higher in Sydney, NS, 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

01:57 1:57 AM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

30,960

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sydney, NS 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney, NS is pricier by about 34%, 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 $2,421 in Sydney, NS. 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 $1,614 in Sydney, NS. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 76% 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 Sydney, NS at $1,614. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney, NS 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, Sydney, NS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.