Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sudbury and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,511 in Sudbury, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sudbury, Canada
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Sudbury
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,511
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,511 per month in Sudbury vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Sudbury $2,511
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,633 per month in Sudbury vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Sudbury $3,633
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,754 per month in Sudbury vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Sudbury $4,754
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sudbury costs about 108% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sudbury sits 84% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 CA$24.89
$10.92 MX$204
62.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.4 CA$98.7
$43.37 MX$808
62.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.81 CA$15.17
$11.78 MX$220
-8.23%
Cappuccino
$2.98 CA$4.18
$3.81 MX$71.0
-21.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$2.97
$1.28 MX$23.90
65.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.45
$0.78 MX$14.59
124.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.38 CA$7.56
$3.17 MX$59.0
69.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.72 CA$9.44
$4.93 MX$92.0
36.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.46 CA$3.46
$1.41 MX$26.22
74.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.06 CA$2.90
$2.22 MX$41.33
-7.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.48 CA$6.28
$1.42 MX$26.42
215.49%
Eggs
$3.75 CA$5.27
$2.52 MX$47.03
48.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.14 CA$15.63
$7.26 MX$135
53.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.89 CA$19.50
$7.70 MX$143
80.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.82 CA$17.99
$12.69 MX$237
1.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.42 CA$6.21
$2.78 MX$51.9
58.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.24 CA$1.74
$1.37 MX$25.50
-9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.71 CA$5.20
$2.55 MX$47.55
45.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.22 CA$5.92
$2.12 MX$39.58
99.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.99 CA$5.60
$1.94 MX$36.13
105.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.71 CA$3.80
$1.89 MX$35.16
43.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 CA$2.62
$1.15 MX$21.37
62.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 CA$3.03
$1.18 MX$21.98
83.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.03 CA$19.69
$4.30 MX$80.1
226.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.21 CA$19.95
$9.95 MX$185
42.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.00 CA$4.21
$1.58 MX$29.52
89.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 CA$3.95
$2.67 MX$49.79
5.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.91 CA$4.08
$0.55 MX$10.31
429.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.6 CA$101
$26.62 MX$496
169.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.15 CA$4.43
$4.97 MX$92.6
-36.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.34 CA$3.28
$3.33 MX$62.1
-29.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.80 CA$39.01
$5.36 MX$99.8
418.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 CA$1.70
$1.44 MX$26.92
-15.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K CA$40.1K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
38.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.9K CA$29.4K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
-10.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 CA$241
$84.8 MX$1,581
102.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.1 CA$73.1
$23.41 MX$436
122.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.5 CA$105
$28.66 MX$534
159.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.2 CA$74.6
$57.1 MX$1,063
-6.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.16 CA$19.87
$28.91 MX$539
-51.02%
Cinema Ticket
$11.85 CA$16.63
$5.14 MX$95.8
130.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 CA$764
$207 MX$3,851
163.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,523 CA$12.0K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
117.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.7 CA$79.6
$43.35 MX$808
30.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.51 CA$47.03
$41.44 MX$772
-19.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 CA$146
$74.2 MX$1,383
40.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$148 CA$208
$89.3 MX$1,664
66.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,424 CA$1,998
$980 MX$18.3K
45.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,233 CA$1,730
$381 MX$7,099
223.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,183 CA$3,064
$1,708 MX$31.8K
27.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 CA$2,704
$1,075 MX$20.0K
79.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,733 CA$3,835
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-30.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,958 CA$2,748
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-68.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sudbury
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,049 CA$4,279
$735 MX$13.7K
315.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.01
11.45
-56.24%

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

Last update for Sudbury: October 27, 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
Sudbury
$1.2K
Playa del Carmen
$381 69.1% $852
Groceries & Markets
Sudbury
$385
Playa del Carmen
$255 33.8% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sudbury
$298
Playa del Carmen
$137 54.1% $161
Eating Out
Sudbury
$266
Playa del Carmen
$202 23.9% $64
Clothing & Footwear
Sudbury
$154
Playa del Carmen
$112 27.6% $43
Getting Around
Sudbury
$98
Playa del Carmen
$50 48.6% $48
Sport & Entertainment
Sudbury
$77
Playa del Carmen
$67 12.4% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,424 in Sudbury 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 Sudbury are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Sudbury versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Sudbury
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
16:49 4:49 PM
15:49 3:49 PM
1 h behind Sudbury
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
161,531
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sudbury Playa del Carmen 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sudbury
  • 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
Sudbury vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Sudbury?
Yes – Sudbury is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,766 per month in Sudbury and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,424 in Sudbury.
What are total monthly expenses in Sudbury and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,511 in Sudbury and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 52% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 63% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sudbury or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Sudbury at $2,511. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sudbury it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sudbury or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sudbury makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Sudbury vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?