Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Victoria and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,574 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,574

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,574 per month in Victoria vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Victoria $2,574
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,856 per month in Victoria vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Victoria $3,856
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $5,138 per month in Victoria vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Victoria $5,138
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Victoria costs about 112% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Victoria sits 92% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$27.06

$10.97 MX$201

73.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 CA$99.7

$44.85 MX$823

56.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.46

$11.92 MX$219

-9.06%

Cappuccino

$4.21 CA$6.00

$3.80 MX$69.9

10.79%

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

$2.21 CA$3.15

$1.31 MX$24.08

68.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.57

$0.86 MX$15.72

109.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 CA$8.11

$3.21 MX$59.0

77.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.23

$5.01 MX$92.0

29.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.65 CA$3.78

$1.46 MX$26.77

81.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$2.33 MX$42.72

24.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.65

$1.44 MX$26.48

175.00%

Eggs

$4.04 CA$5.76

$2.46 MX$45.20

64.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.77 CA$38.16

$7.70 MX$141

247.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.55 CA$17.89

$7.89 MX$145

59.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.51 CA$20.68

$12.80 MX$235

13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.69

$2.92 MX$53.6

36.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.04

$1.42 MX$26.11

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.45

$2.57 MX$47.10

48.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 CA$5.89

$2.14 MX$39.24

92.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.04

$1.95 MX$35.75

81.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.18

$1.94 MX$35.55

51.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.18 CA$4.53

$1.15 MX$21.13

176.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.63

$1.22 MX$22.42

109.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 CA$21.41

$4.38 MX$80.3

242.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 CA$25.46

$9.85 MX$181

81.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 CA$5.70

$1.54 MX$28.23

159.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 CA$4.89

$2.72 MX$49.86

26.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 CA$2.90

$0.52 MX$9.64

292.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$27.42 MX$503

113.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.81

$4.91 MX$90.2

-45.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$3.52 MX$64.7

-56.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.48 CA$47.72

$5.69 MX$104

488.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 CA$1.93

$1.54 MX$28.27

-12.34%

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

$27.7K CA$39.5K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

30.64%

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

$18.5K CA$26.3K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

-24.62%

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

$105 CA$150

$83.6 MX$1,535

26.17%

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

$44.49 CA$63.4

$24.03 MX$441

85.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 CA$87.6

$29.33 MX$539

109.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 CA$60.5

$64.9 MX$1,191

-34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.27 CA$24.62

$29.46 MX$541

-41.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.68 CA$15.22

$5.09 MX$93.4

109.82%

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

$878 CA$1,251

$208 MX$3,813

322.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K CA$33.1K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

473.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 CA$75.8

$44.55 MX$818

19.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.19 CA$63.0

$42.06 MX$772

5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$128

$75.5 MX$1,387

18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$91.4 MX$1,678

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 CA$2,170

$986 MX$18.1K

54.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 CA$1,890

$385 MX$7,072

244.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 CA$3,825

$1,713 MX$31.5K

56.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 CA$3,222

$1,108 MX$20.4K

103.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 CA$7,651

$4,016 MX$73.7K

33.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,469 CA$6,370

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,202 CA$4,564

$758 MX$13.9K

322.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.31

11.45

-62.36%

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

Last update for Victoria: October 5, 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

Victoria

$1.3K 51.7%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 71% $941

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

$461 18%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 43.5% $200

Eating Out

Victoria

$292 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 30.2% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

$211 8.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 35.2% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

$133 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 14.4% $19

Getting Around

Victoria

$77 3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 32.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

$64 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 17.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,522 in Victoria 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 322% higher in Victoria, 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 $70.0 in Victoria versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Victoria

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

2 h ahead of Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,792

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Victoria Playa del Carmen 4,470 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Victoria
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

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

Yes – Victoria is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,862 per month in Victoria 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 $2,574 in Victoria and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 112%.

Public transport costs about 113% 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 Victoria at $2,574. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Victoria 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, Victoria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.