Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,179 in Centennial, CO, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Centennial, CO, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Centennial, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$3,179
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,179 per month in Centennial, CO vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Centennial, CO $3,179
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,417 per month in Centennial, CO vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Centennial, CO $4,417
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,655 per month in Centennial, CO vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Centennial, CO $5,655
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Centennial, CO costs about 164% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Centennial, CO sits 134% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.97 $19.97
$10.92 MX$205
82.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.9 $85.9
$43.37 MX$813
98.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.96 $12.96
$11.78 MX$221
10.02%
Cappuccino
$5.96 $5.96
$3.81 MX$71.4
56.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 $2.77
$1.28 MX$24.03
116.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$0.78 MX$14.67
185.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.89 $6.89
$3.17 MX$59.3
117.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 $8.04
$4.93 MX$92.5
63.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.41 MX$26.35
-20.57%
White Bread (500g)
$4.68 $4.68
$2.22 MX$41.54
110.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.64 $6.64
$1.42 MX$26.56
367.61%
Eggs
$6.04 $6.04
$2.52 MX$47.27
139.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.58 $14.58
$7.26 MX$136
100.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.45 $13.45
$7.70 MX$144
74.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.40 $19.40
$12.69 MX$238
52.88%
Apples (1kg)
$5.59 $5.59
$2.78 MX$52.2
101.08%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.37 MX$25.64
59.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$2.55 MX$47.80
84.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.21 $5.21
$2.12 MX$39.78
145.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.94 MX$36.32
35.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.89 MX$35.34
40.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.15 MX$21.49
100.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.18 MX$22.09
62.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.66 $10.66
$4.30 MX$80.5
147.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.32 $19.32
$9.95 MX$186
94.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.58 MX$29.67
72.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.67 MX$50.1
32.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.48 $5.48
$0.55 MX$10.37
896.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.9 $88.9
$26.62 MX$499
233.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.75 $3.75
$4.97 MX$93.1
-24.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 $1.38
$3.33 MX$62.4
-58.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.86 $24.86
$5.36 MX$100
363.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.44 MX$27.06
-30.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K $30.3K
$20.7K MX$387.3K
46.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$23.5K MX$439.7K
10.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 $204
$84.8 MX$1,589
140.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$77.3 $77.3
$23.41 MX$439
230.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.9 $73.9
$28.66 MX$537
157.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.6 $61.6
$57.1 MX$1,069
7.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.84 $19.84
$28.91 MX$542
-31.37%
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 $15.02
$5.14 MX$96.3
192.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,542 $1,542
$207 MX$3,871
646.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.4K $24.4K
$3,927 MX$73.6K
520.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.2 $60.2
$43.35 MX$812
38.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.78 $36.78
$41.44 MX$777
-11.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 $100
$74.2 MX$1,390
35.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 $132
$89.3 MX$1,672
47.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,850 $1,850
$980 MX$18.4K
88.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,653 $1,653
$381 MX$7,136
334.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,801 $2,801
$1,708 MX$32.0K
63.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,253 $2,253
$1,075 MX$20.1K
109.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,178 $3,178
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-19.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,893 $2,893
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-53.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Centennial, CO
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,397 $6,397
$735 MX$13.8K
770.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
11.45
-41.31%

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

Last update for Centennial, CO: October 24, 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
Centennial, CO
$1.7K
Playa del Carmen
$381 77% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Centennial, CO
$469
Playa del Carmen
$255 45.6% $214
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Centennial, CO
$355
Playa del Carmen
$137 61.5% $218
Eating Out
Centennial, CO
$341
Playa del Carmen
$202 40.6% $138
Clothing & Footwear
Centennial, CO
$148
Playa del Carmen
$112 24.6% $36
Getting Around
Centennial, CO
$121
Playa del Carmen
$50 58.5% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Centennial, CO
$92
Playa del Carmen
$67 26.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,850 in Centennial, CO 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 Centennial, CO are about 8.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Centennial, CO versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $469 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Centennial, CO
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
09:47 9:47 AM
11:47 11:47 AM
2 h ahead of Centennial, CO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
109,741
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Centennial, CO Playa del Carmen 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Centennial, 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
Centennial, CO vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Centennial, CO and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,179 in Centennial, CO, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 62% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Centennial, CO compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,768 per month in Centennial, CO and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Centennial, CO and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,850 in Centennial, CO.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Centennial, CO and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Centennial, CO or Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,179 in Centennial, CO and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 62% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Centennial, CO at $3,179. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Centennial, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Centennial, CO or Playa del Carmen?
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.
How do I decide between Centennial, CO and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Centennial, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Centennial, CO vs other spots: cost of living compared

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