Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,935 in Quebec City, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,935

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quebec City and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Quebec City and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,935 per month in Quebec City vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quebec City $1,935
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,912 per month in Quebec City vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quebec City $2,912
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,889 per month in Quebec City vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Quebec City $3,889
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Quebec City costs about 61% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quebec City sits 42% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 CA$29.64

$10.92 MX$205

94.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 CA$89.2

$43.37 MX$815

47.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 CA$15.02

$11.78 MX$221

-8.74%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.35

$3.81 MX$71.6

0.52%

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

$2.13 CA$2.97

$1.28 MX$24.10

66.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$0.78 MX$14.71

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.68 CA$7.94

$3.17 MX$59.5

79.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 CA$8.21

$4.93 MX$92.7

19.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.88

$1.41 MX$26.43

46.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$2.22 MX$41.66

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.78

$1.42 MX$26.64

191.55%

Eggs

$3.15 CA$4.40

$2.52 MX$47.41

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 CA$12.76

$7.26 MX$137

25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 CA$15.35

$7.70 MX$145

42.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.62 CA$14.84

$12.69 MX$239

-16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.82

$2.78 MX$52.3

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CA$2.17

$1.37 MX$25.71

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$2.55 MX$47.94

45.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$2.12 MX$39.90

90.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.94 MX$36.43

51.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$3.99

$1.89 MX$35.44

51.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 CA$3.81

$1.15 MX$21.55

137.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.12

$1.18 MX$22.16

28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.78 CA$20.65

$4.30 MX$80.7

243.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 CA$15.86

$9.95 MX$187

14.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 CA$4.52

$1.58 MX$29.76

105.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.81

$2.67 MX$50.2

28.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 CA$4.06

$0.55 MX$10.40

429.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 CA$98.7

$26.62 MX$500

165.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$4.04

$4.97 MX$93.4

-41.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$3.33 MX$62.6

-55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.46 CA$49.54

$5.36 MX$101

561.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.44 MX$27.14

-9.72%

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

$28.7K CA$40.1K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

38.93%

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

$22.2K CA$31.0K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-5.52%

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

$100 CA$140

$84.8 MX$1,594

18.16%

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

$32.19 CA$44.97

$23.41 MX$440

37.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.61 CA$63.7

$28.66 MX$539

59.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.12 CA$46.27

$57.1 MX$1,072

-41.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.66 CA$17.68

$28.91 MX$543

-56.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.56 CA$14.75

$5.14 MX$96.6

105.45%

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

$676 CA$945

$207 MX$3,882

227.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,492 CA$13.3K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

141.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 CA$82.9

$43.35 MX$815

36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.9 CA$71.2

$41.44 MX$779

22.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$74.2 MX$1,394

21.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$89.3 MX$1,677

21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 CA$1,437

$980 MX$18.4K

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 CA$1,147

$381 MX$7,157

115.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 CA$2,281

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-4.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 CA$1,862

$1,075 MX$20.2K

23.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,733 CA$6,613

$3,943 MX$74.1K

20.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,728 CA$3,811

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-55.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,906 CA$4,060

$735 MX$13.8K

295.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

11.45

-61.22%

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

Last update for Quebec City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quebec City

$821 42.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 53.6% $440

Groceries & Markets

Quebec City

$347 18%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 26.7% $93

Eating Out

Quebec City

$303 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 33.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quebec City

$178 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 23.1% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Quebec City

$139 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 19.6% $27

Getting Around

Quebec City

$93 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 45.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Quebec City

$54 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 24.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,029 in Quebec City versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Quebec City are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Quebec City versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $347 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

Same time as Quebec City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,168

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quebec City Playa del Carmen 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Quebec City
Playa del Carmen

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

Quebec City vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Quebec City is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,902 per month in Quebec City and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,029 in Quebec City and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,935 in Quebec City and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 38% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 62% 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 Quebec City at $1,935. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quebec City 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quebec City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.