Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Colorado Springs, CO and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,721 in Colorado Springs, CO, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Colorado Springs, CO
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Colorado Springs, CO Living Index
58

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

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Colorado Springs, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,721

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,721 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Colorado Springs, CO $2,721
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Colorado Springs, CO $4,253
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,786 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Colorado Springs, CO $5,786
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Colorado Springs, CO is roughly 126% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Colorado Springs, CO is 100% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$10.92 MX$205

85.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 $85.4

$43.37 MX$814

96.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.77 $12.77

$11.78 MX$221

8.40%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.81 MX$71.5

44.09%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.28 MX$24.07

105.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.78 MX$14.70

191.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.17 MX$59.5

86.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.93 MX$92.7

43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.41 MX$26.40

-31.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.22 MX$41.62

48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.42 MX$26.61

204.93%

Eggs

$5.95 $5.95

$2.52 MX$47.36

136.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.64 $14.64

$7.26 MX$136

101.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$7.70 MX$144

74.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.57 $19.57

$12.69 MX$238

54.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.78 MX$52.3

101.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.37 MX$25.68

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.55 MX$47.89

71.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.12 MX$39.86

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.94 MX$36.39

29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.89 MX$35.41

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.15 MX$21.53

100.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.18 MX$22.13

67.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$4.30 MX$80.6

141.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.36 $19.36

$9.95 MX$187

94.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.58 MX$29.73

110.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.67 MX$50.1

77.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.55 MX$10.39

225.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 $63.1

$26.62 MX$500

137.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 $3.63

$4.97 MX$93.3

-26.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$3.33 MX$62.5

-57.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$5.36 MX$101

360.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.44 MX$27.11

-27.78%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

36.98%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

11.27%

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

$200 $200

$84.8 MX$1,592

135.57%

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

$95.6 $95.6

$23.41 MX$439

308.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 $103

$28.66 MX$538

258.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.11 $44.11

$57.1 MX$1,071

-22.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.69 $33.69

$28.91 MX$543

16.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$5.14 MX$96.5

186.19%

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

$1,558 $1,558

$207 MX$3,878

654.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

519.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$43.35 MX$814

35.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 $34.64

$41.44 MX$778

-16.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.8 $80.8

$74.2 MX$1,393

8.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$89.3 MX$1,676

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 $1,698

$980 MX$18.4K

73.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$381 MX$7,150

234.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,874 $2,874

$1,708 MX$32.1K

68.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,573 $2,573

$1,075 MX$20.2K

139.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,798 $2,798

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-29.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,283 $2,283

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-62.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,387 $4,387

$735 MX$13.8K

497.26%

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 Colorado Springs, CO: 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

Colorado Springs, CO

$1.3K 46.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70.1% $893

Groceries & Markets

Colorado Springs, CO

$442 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 42.3% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Colorado Springs, CO

$398 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 65.6% $261

Eating Out

Colorado Springs, CO

$329 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 38.6% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Colorado Springs, CO

$124 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 9.6% $12

Getting Around

Colorado Springs, CO

$81 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Colorado Springs, CO

$74 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 8.5% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,698 in Colorado Springs, CO and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colorado Springs, CO pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Colorado Springs, CO vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $442 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Colorado Springs, CO

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

19:17 7:17 PM

2 h ahead of Colorado Springs, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

478,961

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Colorado Springs, CO Playa del Carmen 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Colorado Springs, 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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Colorado Springs, CO is about 6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,698 in Colorado Springs, CO versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Colorado Springs, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $85 in Colorado Springs, CO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,721 in Colorado Springs, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Colorado Springs, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Colorado Springs, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.