Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Living Index
58

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

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St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,128

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,128 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $2,128
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,149 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $3,149
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,170 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador $4,170
Playa del Carmen $2,959

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador costs about 77% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador sits 56% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.70

$10.92 MX$204

61.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 CA$101

$43.37 MX$808

66.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 CA$16.46

$11.78 MX$220

-0.42%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.66

$3.81 MX$71.0

5.77%

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

$2.59 CA$3.63

$1.28 MX$23.90

102.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$0.78 MX$14.59

182.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.84

$3.17 MX$59.0

53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 CA$7.62

$4.93 MX$92.0

10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$1.41 MX$26.22

96.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$2.22 MX$41.33

38.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.01

$1.42 MX$26.42

201.41%

Eggs

$3.87 CA$5.44

$2.52 MX$47.03

53.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.53 CA$16.18

$7.26 MX$135

58.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 CA$18.70

$7.70 MX$143

72.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.58

$12.69 MX$237

-6.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 CA$6.81

$2.78 MX$51.9

74.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$1.37 MX$25.50

125.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 CA$6.73

$2.55 MX$47.55

88.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 CA$4.32

$2.12 MX$39.58

45.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$1.94 MX$36.13

36.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.24

$1.89 MX$35.16

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 CA$4.01

$1.15 MX$21.37

148.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 CA$2.83

$1.18 MX$21.98

71.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 CA$19.37

$4.30 MX$80.1

220.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 CA$22.59

$9.95 MX$185

61.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.89

$1.58 MX$29.52

165.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 CA$6.08

$2.67 MX$49.79

62.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 CA$2.57

$0.55 MX$10.31

232.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 CA$78.1

$26.62 MX$496

109.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.52

$4.97 MX$92.6

-35.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$3.33 MX$62.1

-47.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.39 CA$39.84

$5.36 MX$99.8

429.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CA$1.95

$1.44 MX$26.92

-3.47%

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

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

38.63%

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

$23.8K CA$33.5K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

1.64%

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

$182 CA$256

$84.8 MX$1,581

114.78%

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

$41.72 CA$58.6

$23.41 MX$436

78.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.6 CA$107

$28.66 MX$534

167.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.1 CA$95.6

$57.1 MX$1,063

19.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 CA$26.86

$28.91 MX$539

-33.79%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 CA$14.92

$5.14 MX$95.8

106.81%

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

$535 CA$751

$207 MX$3,851

159.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,862 CA$13.8K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

151.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 CA$93.9

$43.35 MX$808

54.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 CA$72.2

$41.44 MX$772

24.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 CA$115

$74.2 MX$1,383

10.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 CA$135

$89.3 MX$1,664

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 CA$1,462

$980 MX$18.3K

6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 CA$1,173

$381 MX$7,099

119.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 CA$2,161

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 CA$1,855

$1,075 MX$20.0K

22.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,435 CA$3,417

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-38.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 CA$2,492

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-71.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,823 CA$3,962

$735 MX$13.7K

284.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.57

11.45

-60.09%

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

Last update for St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador: October 24, 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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$836 39.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 54.4% $455

Groceries & Markets

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$415 19.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 38.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$300 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 54.4% $164

Eating Out

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$279 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 27.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$133 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 16.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$89 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 24.7% $22

Getting Around

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

$75 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 32.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:35 10:35 PM

20:05 8:05 PM

2 h 30 min behind St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,525

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 29, 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 29, 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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Highest

Between locations

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Playa del Carmen 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
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

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,192 per month in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 $1,041 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 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 $2,128 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 43% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 52% 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 St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador at $2,128. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador 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, St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.