Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond Hill and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,769 in Richmond Hill, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Richmond Hill
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Richmond Hill Living Index
58

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

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Richmond Hill

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,769

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Richmond Hill 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 Richmond Hill and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,769 per month in Richmond Hill vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Richmond Hill $2,769
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,844 per month in Richmond Hill vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Richmond Hill $3,844
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,920 per month in Richmond Hill vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Richmond Hill $4,920
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Richmond Hill costs about 130% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Richmond Hill sits 103% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.40

$10.92 MX$204

65.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 CA$98.4

$43.37 MX$808

61.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.82

$11.78 MX$220

-10.36%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.18

$3.81 MX$71.0

-3.15%

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

$1.79 CA$2.51

$1.28 MX$23.90

39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.06

$0.78 MX$14.59

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.24

$3.17 MX$59.0

85.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CA$7.84

$4.93 MX$92.0

13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$1.41 MX$26.22

94.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.80

$2.22 MX$41.33

22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.42 MX$26.42

52.11%

Eggs

$4.46 CA$6.26

$2.52 MX$47.03

76.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 CA$15.36

$7.26 MX$135

50.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.57

$7.70 MX$143

44.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 CA$18.04

$12.69 MX$237

1.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.10

$2.78 MX$51.9

30.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.37 MX$25.50

-2.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 CA$4.80

$2.55 MX$47.55

34.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.61

$2.12 MX$39.58

88.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.87

$1.94 MX$36.13

5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.85

$1.89 MX$35.16

7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CA$3.26

$1.15 MX$21.37

102.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$1.18 MX$21.98

24.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.36 CA$18.75

$4.30 MX$80.1

210.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CA$17.96

$9.95 MX$185

28.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.57

$1.58 MX$29.52

15.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.14

$2.67 MX$49.79

-16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 CA$4.75

$0.55 MX$10.31

514.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$157 CA$220

$26.62 MX$496

489.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 CA$4.17

$4.97 MX$92.6

-40.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$3.33 MX$62.1

-67.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.89 CA$26.51

$5.36 MX$99.8

252.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.72

$1.44 MX$26.92

-14.58%

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

$27.5K CA$38.5K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

32.87%

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

$21.4K CA$30.0K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-8.82%

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

$137 CA$192

$84.8 MX$1,581

61.39%

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

$34.31 CA$48.15

$23.41 MX$436

46.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.63 CA$65.5

$28.66 MX$534

62.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 CA$63.9

$57.1 MX$1,063

-20.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 CA$24.96

$28.91 MX$539

-38.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 CA$15.13

$5.14 MX$95.8

109.73%

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

$342 CA$480

$207 MX$3,851

65.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

174.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.38 CA$62.3

$43.35 MX$808

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 CA$54.4

$41.44 MX$772

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$131

$74.2 MX$1,383

26.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$145

$89.3 MX$1,664

15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 CA$2,483

$980 MX$18.3K

80.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 CA$2,190

$381 MX$7,099

309.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 CA$3,579

$1,708 MX$31.8K

49.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 CA$3,045

$1,075 MX$20.0K

101.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,499 CA$9,120

$3,943 MX$73.5K

64.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,341 CA$7,496

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-13.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,159 CA$4,433

$735 MX$13.7K

330.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

11.45

-60.26%

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

Last update for Richmond Hill: October 26, 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

Richmond Hill

$1.6K 56.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 75.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Richmond Hill

$344 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 26% $89

Eating Out

Richmond Hill

$274 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 26.2% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richmond Hill

$218 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 37.2% $81

Getting Around

Richmond Hill

$179 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 71.8% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Richmond Hill

$126 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Richmond Hill

$67 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,769 in Richmond Hill 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 Richmond Hill are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Richmond Hill versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Richmond Hill

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h behind Richmond Hill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,022

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Richmond Hill Playa del Carmen 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Richmond Hill
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

Richmond Hill vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Richmond Hill is pricier by about 130%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,153 per month in Richmond Hill and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,769 in Richmond Hill.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,769 in Richmond Hill and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 57% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 83% 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 Richmond Hill at $2,769. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Richmond Hill 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, Richmond Hill makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.