Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Collado Villalba and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,737 in Collado Villalba, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Collado Villalba, Spain
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Collado Villalba
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,737
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,737 per month in Collado Villalba vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Collado Villalba $1,737
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,525 per month in Collado Villalba vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Collado Villalba $2,525
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,313 per month in Collado Villalba vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Collado Villalba $3,313
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Collado Villalba costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Collado Villalba sits 28% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.63 €13.10
$10.92 MX$205
33.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.89 €38.41
$43.37 MX$814
-1.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.87 €7.94
$11.78 MX$221
-24.70%
Cappuccino
$1.54 €1.38
$3.81 MX$71.5
-59.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 €2.46
$1.28 MX$24.07
114.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 €1.24
$0.78 MX$14.70
76.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 €3.02
$3.17 MX$59.5
6.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 €1.99
$4.93 MX$92.7
-54.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.41 MX$26.40
-26.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.01 €0.91
$2.22 MX$41.62
-54.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.28 €2.04
$1.42 MX$26.61
60.56%
Eggs
$2.99 €2.68
$2.52 MX$47.36
18.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$25.32 €22.68
$7.26 MX$136
248.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.49 €11.18
$7.70 MX$144
62.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.66 €22.98
$12.69 MX$238
102.21%
Apples (1kg)
$2.79 €2.50
$2.78 MX$52.3
0.36%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.37 MX$25.68
67.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 €2.01
$2.55 MX$47.89
-12.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.82 €4.31
$2.12 MX$39.86
127.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.12 €1.90
$1.94 MX$36.39
9.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 €1.86
$1.89 MX$35.41
10.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.98 €1.77
$1.15 MX$21.53
72.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 €0.54
$1.18 MX$22.13
-49.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.34 €5.68
$4.30 MX$80.6
47.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.98 €8.94
$9.95 MX$187
0.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.93
$1.58 MX$29.73
-34.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 €2.01
$2.67 MX$50.1
-16.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.49
$0.55 MX$10.39
201.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.14 €28.79
$26.62 MX$500
20.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.42 €3.96
$4.97 MX$93.3
-11.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.28 €2.04
$3.33 MX$62.5
-31.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.66 €20.30
$5.36 MX$101
322.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.44 MX$27.11
25.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K €32.2K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
74.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.0K €26.0K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
23.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$198 €177
$84.8 MX$1,592
133.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.34 €18.22
$23.41 MX$439
-13.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.16 €27.91
$28.66 MX$538
8.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.36 €39.73
$57.1 MX$1,071
-22.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.55 €13.93
$28.91 MX$543
-46.21%
Cinema Ticket
$9.65 €8.64
$5.14 MX$96.5
87.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$179 €160
$207 MX$3,878
-13.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,975 €5,351
$3,927 MX$73.7K
52.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.6 €64.1
$43.35 MX$814
65.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.56 €31.85
$41.44 MX$778
-14.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.9 €69.8
$74.2 MX$1,393
4.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.6 €85.6
$89.3 MX$1,676
7.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$881 €789
$980 MX$18.4K
-10.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$670 €600
$381 MX$7,150
75.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,330 €1,191
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-22.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,000 €896
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-6.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,307 €2,961
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-16.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,245 €2,010
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-63.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Collado Villalba
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,456 €2,200
$735 MX$13.8K
234.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.08
11.45
-73.10%

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

Last update for Collado Villalba: October 25, 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
Collado Villalba
$670
Playa del Carmen
$381 43.2% $289
Groceries & Markets
Collado Villalba
$373
Playa del Carmen
$255 31.7% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Collado Villalba
$249
Playa del Carmen
$137 45.1% $112
Eating Out
Collado Villalba
$200
Playa del Carmen
$202 1.2% $2.4
Clothing & Footwear
Collado Villalba
$126
Playa del Carmen
$112 11.5% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Collado Villalba
$64
Playa del Carmen
$67 5.7% $3.7
Getting Around
Collado Villalba
$55
Playa del Carmen
$50 7.6% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $881 in Collado Villalba 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 Collado Villalba are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Collado Villalba versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $373 in Collado Villalba vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Collado Villalba
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
00:39 12:39 AM
18:39 6:39 PM
6 h behind Collado Villalba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,657
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Collado Villalba Playa del Carmen 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Collado Villalba
  • 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
Collado Villalba vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Collado Villalba and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,737 in Collado Villalba, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Collado Villalba compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,605 per month in Collado Villalba 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 Collado Villalba and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Collado Villalba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $881 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
How do commuting costs compare in Collado Villalba and in Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 17% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 46% more in Collado Villalba, though the gap depends on what you buy.
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 Collado Villalba at $1,737. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Collado Villalba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Collado Villalba and Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,737 in Collado Villalba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Collado Villalba and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Collado Villalba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Collado Villalba vs other spots: cost of living compared

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