Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index
59

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

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Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,934

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,934 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $1,934
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $2,885 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $2,885
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $3,836 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Saint John, New Brunswick $3,836
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Saint John, New Brunswick costs about 60% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint John, New Brunswick sits 43% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.89

$10.76 MX$199

70.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 CA$83.5

$43.03 MX$795

37.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$11.79 MX$218

-11.54%

Cappuccino

$3.00 CA$4.25

$3.87 MX$71.4

-22.48%

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

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.37 MX$25.29

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$0.84 MX$15.44

26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 CA$6.26

$3.10 MX$57.3

42.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CA$7.08

$5.07 MX$93.6

-1.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.07

$1.44 MX$26.55

50.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.77

$2.23 MX$41.23

19.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$1.47 MX$27.17

112.24%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$2.53 MX$46.71

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 CA$18.61

$7.30 MX$135

80.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.56

$7.86 MX$145

49.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 CA$18.06

$12.79 MX$236

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 CA$6.77

$2.90 MX$53.6

65.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.44 MX$26.53

2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.91

$2.55 MX$47.07

63.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.51

$2.06 MX$38.03

89.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CA$2.83

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.01 MX$37.07

9.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$1.19 MX$22.02

107.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.26 MX$23.23

11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 CA$19.67

$4.40 MX$81.4

216.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 CA$13.99

$9.59 MX$177

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$1.59 MX$29.41

12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.81 MX$51.9

-24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 CA$2.92

$0.57 MX$10.47

261.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 CA$79.2

$27.82 MX$514

101.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$4.98 MX$92.1

-41.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$3.50 MX$64.6

-69.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 CA$24.52

$5.40 MX$99.8

221.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.47 MX$27.08

-14.97%

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

$24.3K CA$34.4K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

15.95%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-21.37%

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

$120 CA$169

$84.2 MX$1,556

41.91%

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

$41.55 CA$58.7

$23.99 MX$443

73.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CA$91.4

$29.02 MX$536

122.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$63.0 MX$1,164

-16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.03 CA$49.52

$29.14 MX$539

20.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 CA$18.07

$4.94 MX$91.3

158.70%

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

$378 CA$534

$204 MX$3,763

85.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CA$15.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

182.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 CA$68.3

$43.60 MX$806

10.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.16 CA$49.71

$43.12 MX$797

-18.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$75.8 MX$1,400

35.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$88.6 MX$1,637

19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,400

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 CA$1,158

$374 MX$6,911

118.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 CA$2,277

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-5.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 CA$1,843

$1,106 MX$20.4K

17.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,018 CA$2,854

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-48.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 CA$2,959

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-66.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 CA$3,396

$754 MX$13.9K

218.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

11.45

-59.04%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John, New Brunswick

$819 42.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 54.3% $445

Groceries & Markets

Saint John, New Brunswick

$350 18.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 26.2% $92

Eating Out

Saint John, New Brunswick

$257 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 21.3% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John, New Brunswick

$226 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 39.2% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John, New Brunswick

$131 6.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 14.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John, New Brunswick

$78 4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 6.4% $5

Getting Around

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 27.5% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $990 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $1,008 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 run about 219% higher in Saint John, New Brunswick, 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 $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

19:17 7:17 PM

2 h behind Saint John, New Brunswick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,063

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint John, New Brunswick Playa del Carmen 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint John, New Brunswick
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

Saint John, New Brunswick vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint John, New Brunswick is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,901 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,816 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 101% 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 $1,210, than in Saint John, New Brunswick at $1,934. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John, New Brunswick 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, Saint John, New Brunswick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.