Cost of Living Comparison Between Collado Villalba and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Collado Villalba and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,776 per month in Collado Villalba vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,473 per month in Collado Villalba vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,170 per month in Collado Villalba vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Collado Villalba costs about 38% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Collado Villalba sits 33% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €11.82

$11.94 MX$208

15.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.98 €24.75

$42.75 MX$744

-32.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 €7.83

$10.59 MX$184

-13.41%

Cappuccino

$1.64 €1.40

$3.62 MX$63.0

-54.70%

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

$2.97 €2.54

$1.47 MX$25.54

102.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.16

$0.94 MX$16.41

44.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.90

$3.09 MX$53.8

10.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.96

$4.46 MX$77.6

-48.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.43 MX$24.80

-22.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.88 MX$32.79

-43.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.63 MX$28.34

30.06%

Eggs

$2.64 €2.26

$2.64 MX$45.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.00 €19.64

$8.21 MX$143

180.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 €10.16

$8.29 MX$144

43.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 €19.75

$11.10 MX$193

108.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$2.65 MX$46.14

4.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.81

$1.50 MX$26.11

42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.99 MX$34.59

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 €3.73

$2.08 MX$36.13

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.79 MX$31.11

5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.18 MX$37.87

-5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.08 MX$18.73

83.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.53

$1.04 MX$18.04

-40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.31 €5.39

$3.97 MX$69.1

58.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 €9.16

$10.20 MX$178

5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.02

$1.73 MX$30.04

-30.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €1.94

$2.50 MX$43.46

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.39

$0.52 MX$9.02

213.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.90 €28.95

$26.97 MX$469

25.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.06

$3.14 MX$54.7

51.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 €1.14

$2.40 MX$41.80

-44.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.08 €20.56

$3.09 MX$53.7

679.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.27 MX$22.16

39.37%

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

$38.2K €32.7K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

23.82%

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

$40.2K €34.3K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

72.32%

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

$200 €171

$82.0 MX$1,427

144.13%

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

$26.64 €22.75

$22.45 MX$391

18.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.06 €27.38

$29.66 MX$516

8.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.61 €40.66

$51.9 MX$903

-8.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.00 €12.81

$18.67 MX$325

-19.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 €7.88

$4.97 MX$86.5

85.71%

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

$259 €221

$198 MX$3,442

30.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,897 €5,890

$5,273 MX$91.7K

30.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 €73.7

$36.34 MX$632

137.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.25 €31.81

$40.05 MX$697

-6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.6 €71.4

$79.9 MX$1,390

4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 €74.5

$88.9 MX$1,547

-1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 €715

$963 MX$16.8K

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €601

$465 MX$8,086

51.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 €1,135

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-16.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 €850

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-17.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,499 €2,988

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-11.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,305 €1,968

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-64.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,608 €2,227

$720 MX$12.5K

261.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

11.42

-70.40%

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

Last update for Collado Villalba: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $837 in Collado Villalba versus $963 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 262% higher in Collado Villalba, 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 $29.00 in Collado Villalba versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $352 in Collado Villalba vs $251 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,776 in Collado Villalba, $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 38% apart. Collado Villalba costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,664 per month in Collado Villalba and $1,930 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 $1,776 in Collado Villalba and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 26% 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 $1,287, than in Collado Villalba at $1,776. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Collado Villalba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,287 in Playa del Carmen to $1,776 in Collado Villalba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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