Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,530 per month in Toronto vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Toronto $2,530
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,646 per month in Toronto vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Toronto $3,646
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $4,761 per month in Toronto vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Toronto $4,761
Playa del Carmen $3,072

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

Toronto sits 89% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 CA$25.13

$10.97 MX$200

61.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 CA$110

$44.85 MX$816

72.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.47 CA$14.90

$11.92 MX$217

-12.16%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CA$5.80

$3.80 MX$69.2

7.37%

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

$2.12 CA$3.01

$1.31 MX$23.86

61.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.50

$0.86 MX$15.58

104.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 CA$8.78

$3.21 MX$58.4

92.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 CA$9.80

$5.01 MX$91.2

37.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$1.46 MX$26.53

66.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.91

$2.33 MX$42.33

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$1.44 MX$26.24

54.86%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.90

$2.46 MX$44.78

40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 CA$12.71

$7.70 MX$140

15.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 CA$16.27

$7.89 MX$144

44.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 CA$20.78

$12.80 MX$233

14.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.33

$2.92 MX$53.1

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.42 MX$25.87

-19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$5.05

$2.57 MX$46.66

38.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 CA$6.09

$2.14 MX$38.88

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.62

$1.95 MX$35.42

-5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 CA$2.37

$1.94 MX$35.22

-13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.15

$1.15 MX$20.94

93.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CA$1.72

$1.22 MX$22.21

-0.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.74

$4.38 MX$79.6

216.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$20.27

$9.85 MX$179

44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.12

$1.54 MX$27.97

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.72 MX$49.40

-11.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$0.52 MX$9.55

365.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$158

$27.42 MX$499

303.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.12

$4.91 MX$89.4

-40.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$3.52 MX$64.1

-64.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.03 CA$31.33

$5.69 MX$103

287.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 CA$1.74

$1.54 MX$28.01

-20.78%

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

$27.6K CA$39.3K

$21.2K MX$386.3K

30.09%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$24.5K MX$445.4K

-19.06%

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

$122 CA$173

$83.6 MX$1,521

45.77%

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

$32.03 CA$45.56

$24.03 MX$437

33.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.92 CA$68.2

$29.33 MX$534

63.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.90 CA$55.3

$64.9 MX$1,180

-40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.24 CA$33.05

$29.46 MX$536

-21.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.94

$5.09 MX$92.5

147.74%

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

$834 CA$1,186

$208 MX$3,778

301.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K CA$33.2K

$4,045 MX$73.6K

476.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 CA$74.8

$44.55 MX$810

18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 CA$57.3

$42.06 MX$765

-4.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 CA$137

$75.5 MX$1,374

27.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$175

$91.4 MX$1,662

34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 CA$2,273

$986 MX$17.9K

62.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 CA$2,041

$385 MX$7,007

272.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CA$3,779

$1,713 MX$31.2K

55.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 CA$2,981

$1,108 MX$20.2K

89.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 CA$11.4K

$4,016 MX$73.0K

100.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,557 CA$9,327

$6,247 MX$113.6K

4.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 CA$5,324

$758 MX$13.8K

393.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

11.45

-60.96%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 73.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 23.5% $80

Eating Out

Toronto

$282 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 27.6% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$202 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 32.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$140 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 18.7% $26

Getting Around

Toronto

$130 5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 59.8% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$64 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 17% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,598 in Toronto versus $986 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 394% higher in Toronto, 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 $77.0 in Toronto versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

20:14 8:14 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Playa del Carmen 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
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

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

Yes – Toronto is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,795 per month in Toronto and $1,823 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 $2,530 in Toronto and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 108%.

Public transport costs about 304% 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 $1,215, than in Toronto at $2,530. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto 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, Toronto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.