Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey, Canada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,338 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
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Surrey Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,338

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,338 per month in Surrey vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surrey $2,338
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,564 per month in Surrey vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surrey $3,564
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,791 per month in Surrey vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surrey $4,791
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Surrey costs about 94% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Surrey sits 72% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.11 CA$25.31

$10.92 MX$205

65.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 CA$80.3

$43.37 MX$814

32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 CA$14.06

$11.78 MX$221

-14.60%

Cappuccino

$3.52 CA$4.92

$3.81 MX$71.5

-7.61%

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

$2.01 CA$2.81

$1.28 MX$24.07

57.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.10

$0.78 MX$14.70

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 CA$8.40

$3.17 MX$59.5

89.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 CA$7.87

$4.93 MX$92.7

14.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 CA$3.46

$1.41 MX$26.40

75.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.22 MX$41.62

-5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.09

$1.42 MX$26.61

156.34%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.50

$2.52 MX$47.36

27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 CA$13.65

$7.26 MX$136

34.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 CA$14.78

$7.70 MX$144

37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.34 CA$28.42

$12.69 MX$238

60.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.65

$2.78 MX$52.3

19.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.37 MX$25.68

-5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.10

$2.55 MX$47.89

15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.23

$2.12 MX$39.86

42.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 CA$3.62

$1.94 MX$36.39

33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.01

$1.89 MX$35.41

13.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 CA$2.80

$1.15 MX$21.53

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.56

$1.18 MX$22.13

55.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.72

$4.30 MX$80.6

228.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 CA$19.85

$9.95 MX$187

42.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.43

$1.58 MX$29.73

55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CA$4.51

$2.67 MX$50.1

20.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$0.55 MX$10.39

363.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 CA$154

$26.62 MX$500

314.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$4.97 MX$93.3

-46.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.23

$3.33 MX$62.5

-51.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.02 CA$39.15

$5.36 MX$101

422.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.44 MX$27.11

-4.17%

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

$28.2K CA$39.3K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

36.26%

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

$21.7K CA$30.3K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-7.48%

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

$187 CA$261

$84.8 MX$1,592

119.96%

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

$37.14 CA$51.9

$23.41 MX$439

58.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 CA$91.9

$28.66 MX$538

129.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.83 CA$44.48

$57.1 MX$1,071

-44.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 CA$35.42

$28.91 MX$543

-12.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.02

$5.14 MX$96.5

136.96%

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

$668 CA$934

$207 MX$3,878

223.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K CA$16.9K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

207.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.8

$43.35 MX$814

26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 CA$85.4

$41.44 MX$778

47.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 CA$139

$74.2 MX$1,393

34.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 CA$127

$89.3 MX$1,676

1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 CA$1,923

$980 MX$18.4K

40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 CA$1,528

$381 MX$7,150

187.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 CA$3,641

$1,708 MX$32.1K

52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 CA$2,927

$1,075 MX$20.2K

94.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,631 CA$9,265

$3,943 MX$74.0K

68.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,166 CA$7,218

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 CA$4,410

$735 MX$13.8K

329.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

11.45

-57.47%

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

Last update for Surrey: 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

Surrey

$1.1K 46.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 65.2% $713

Groceries & Markets

Surrey

$357 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 28.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surrey

$289 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 52.7% $153

Eating Out

Surrey

$273 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 25.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Surrey

$138 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 19% $26

Getting Around

Surrey

$131 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 61.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Surrey

$56 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 19.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,376 in Surrey 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 Surrey are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Surrey versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Surrey

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

2 h ahead of Surrey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

517,887

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 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 1, 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surrey Playa del Carmen 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Surrey
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

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

Yes – Surrey is pricier by about 94%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,507 per month in Surrey 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 $1,376 in Surrey.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,338 in Surrey and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 48% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 76% 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 Surrey at $2,338. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Surrey 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, Surrey makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.