Montreal vs Playa del Carmen: cost of living for digital nomads

Montreal, Canada and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Playa del Carmen is about 33% cheaper than Montreal for a month of nomad living ($1,670 vs $2,500).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $820 in Playa del Carmen against $1,200 in Montreal.
  • Both score 7/10 on safety.
  • Internet is faster in Montreal: 250 Mbps typical against 80 Mbps.
  • Montreal is continental; Playa del Carmen is tropical.

Montreal wins 1 of the measured lines; Playa del Carmen wins 6.

LineMontrealPlaya del Carmen
Monthly total (USD)$2,500$1,670
Rent$1,200$820
Food$560$430
Transport$80$50
Coworking$170$130
Safety (out of 10)7/107/10
Internet (Mbps)25080
Climatecontinentaltropical
City sizemetromid
Settinginlandcoast
Nomad score (out of 10)8/109/10

Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Compare Montreal with

Compare Playa del Carmen with

Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.