Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aspen, CO and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $5,088 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $46,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

250

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
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Aspen, CO Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,088

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,088 per month in Aspen, CO vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aspen, CO $5,088
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $7,500 per month in Aspen, CO vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aspen, CO $7,500
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $9,911 per month in Aspen, CO vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aspen, CO $9,911
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Aspen, CO costs about 319% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aspen, CO sits 280% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$10.97 MX$201

85.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$44.85 MX$823

81.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$11.92 MX$219

-9.31%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$3.80 MX$69.9

42.63%

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

$3.52 $3.52

$1.31 MX$24.08

168.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.86 MX$15.72

227.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 $7.10

$3.21 MX$59.0

121.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$5.01 MX$92.0

75.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.46 MX$26.77

-15.75%

White Bread (500g)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.33 MX$42.72

131.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$1.44 MX$26.48

372.22%

Eggs

$5.68 $5.68

$2.46 MX$45.20

130.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 $11.64

$7.70 MX$141

51.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.85 $10.85

$7.89 MX$145

37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$12.80 MX$235

40.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.92 MX$53.6

94.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.42 MX$26.11

2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.57 MX$47.10

135.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.14 MX$39.24

186.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.95 MX$35.75

110.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.94 MX$35.55

90.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.15 MX$21.13

197.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.22 MX$22.42

115.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 $11.06

$4.38 MX$80.3

152.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 $16.86

$9.85 MX$181

71.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.54 MX$28.23

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.72 MX$49.86

78.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 $90.3

$27.42 MX$503

229.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.91 MX$90.2

-49.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$3.52 MX$64.7

-61.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$5.69 MX$104

324.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.54 MX$28.27

-31.82%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

66.18%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

4.36%

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

$147 $147

$83.6 MX$1,535

76.16%

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

$72.3 $72.3

$24.03 MX$441

201.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$29.33 MX$539

156.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$136 $136

$64.9 MX$1,191

109.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$16.75 $16.75

$5.09 MX$93.4

229.08%

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

$1,576 $1,576

$208 MX$3,813

658.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

649.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 $68.7

$44.55 MX$818

54.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 $49.08

$42.06 MX$772

16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$75.5 MX$1,387

23.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$91.4 MX$1,678

56.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,114 $4,114

$986 MX$18.1K

317.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,602 $3,602

$385 MX$7,072

835.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,880 $7,880

$1,713 MX$31.5K

359.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,515 $6,515

$1,108 MX$20.4K

487.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K $10.8K

$4,016 MX$73.7K

168.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,455 $7,455

$6,247 MX$114.7K

19.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,996 $4,996

$758 MX$13.9K

559.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.45

-42.79%

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

Last update for Aspen, CO: 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

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.2%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 89.3% $3.2K

Groceries & Markets

Aspen, CO

$469 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 44.5% $209

Eating Out

Aspen, CO

$339 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 39.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aspen, CO

$295 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 53.5% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 55.6% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Aspen, CO

$159 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 28.4% $45

Getting Around

Aspen, CO

$100 * 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 47.7% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,114 in Aspen, CO 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 559% higher in Aspen, CO, 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 $81.0 in Aspen, CO versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $469 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:42 12:42 AM

01:42 1:42 AM

1 h ahead of Aspen, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,000

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Aspen, CO Playa del Carmen 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Aspen, CO
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

Aspen, CO vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aspen, CO costs about 319% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,633 per month in Aspen, CO 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.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Aspen, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Aspen, CO and $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Aspen, CO at $5,088. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aspen, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,215 versus $5,088 in Aspen, CO. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aspen, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.