Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highlands Ranch, CO and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index
59

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

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Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,365 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $3,365
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,987 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,987
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $2,609 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,609
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Highlands Ranch, CO costs about 179% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Highlands Ranch, CO sits 148% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$10.86 MX$201

40.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$44.21 MX$817

79.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$11.76 MX$217

-13.27%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$3.68 MX$68.0

70.11%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$1.34 MX$24.79

85.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.82 MX$15.24

159.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.06 MX$56.6

65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.94 MX$91.2

24.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.47 MX$27.17

-29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.22 MX$40.95

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.48 MX$27.32

89.19%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.49 MX$45.99

71.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$7.52 MX$139

43.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$7.96 MX$147

-9.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$12.57 MX$232

51.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.78 MX$51.3

45.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.43 MX$26.37

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.62 MX$48.37

85.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.14 MX$39.49

145.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.02 MX$37.38

78.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.99 MX$36.74

130.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.14 MX$21.01

94.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.20 MX$22.18

42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$4.26 MX$78.7

144.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.42 $16.42

$10.02 MX$185

63.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.54 MX$28.41

62.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.66 MX$49.17

-1.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$4.90 MX$90.6

-49.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.43 MX$63.5

-44.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$5.38 MX$99.4

371.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.45 MX$26.76

-29.66%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

32.35%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

12.72%

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

$215 $215

$85.4 MX$1,577

151.63%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$23.46 MX$434

141.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$28.43 MX$525

141.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$5.10 MX$94.3

135.10%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$201 MX$3,715

549.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

210.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$44.39 MX$820

35.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 $68.4

$41.35 MX$764

65.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$72.7 MX$1,344

7.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$89.6 MX$1,656

31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 $2,864

$979 MX$18.1K

192.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$373 MX$6,887

487.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,275 $7,275

$738 MX$13.6K

886.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

11.45

-41.48%

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

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 65.1%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 83% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Highlands Ranch, CO

$368 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 29.8% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highlands Ranch, CO

$340 10.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.7% $203

Eating Out

Highlands Ranch, CO

$284 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 29.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Highlands Ranch, CO

$146 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 23.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Highlands Ranch, CO

$24 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 202% $48

Getting Around

Highlands Ranch, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 333% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,864 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $979 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 886% higher in Highlands Ranch, 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 $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

1 h ahead of Highlands Ranch, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Highlands Ranch, CO Playa del Carmen 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Highlands Ranch, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 179% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,047 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO and $1,806 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 $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 179%.

Kindergarten costs $1,306 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,365. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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, Highlands Ranch, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.