Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $5,088 in Aspen, CO, rent and utilities included – about $46,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
250

Cost of Living Index in Aspen, CO
Learn more

Aspen, CO Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Aspen, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$5,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Aspen, CO

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Aspen, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,088 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Aspen, CO $5,088

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,500 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Aspen, CO $7,500

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $9,911 in Aspen, CO, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Aspen, CO $9,911

Playa del Carmen is about 76% cheaper than Aspen, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Aspen, CO is 280% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$20.33 $20.33

-46.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$81.2 $81.2

-44.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$10.81 $10.81

10.27%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$5.42 $5.42

-29.89%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$3.52 $3.52

-62.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$2.82 $2.82

-69.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$7.10 $7.10

-54.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$8.81 $8.81

-43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.23 $1.23

18.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$5.40 $5.40

-56.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$6.80 $6.80

-78.82%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$5.68 $5.68

-56.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$11.64 $11.64

-33.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$10.85 $10.85

-27.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$17.97 $17.97

-28.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$5.68 $5.68

-48.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.46 $1.46

-2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$6.06 $6.06

-57.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$6.14 $6.14

-65.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$4.10 $4.10

-52.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$3.69 $3.69

-47.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$3.42 $3.42

-66.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$2.63 $2.63

-53.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$11.06 $11.06

-60.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$16.86 $16.86

-41.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.82 $1.82

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$4.85 $4.85

-43.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$90.3 $90.3

-69.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$2.49 $2.49

97.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$1.36 $1.36

158.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$24.18 $24.18

-76.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.05 $1.05

46.67%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$35.3K $35.3K

-39.83%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

-4.18%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$147 $147

-43.23%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$72.3 $72.3

-66.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$75.2 $75.2

-60.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$136 $136

-52.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$16.75 $16.75

-69.61%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$1,576 $1,576

-86.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$30.3K $30.3K

-86.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$68.7 $68.7

-35.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$49.08 $49.08

-14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$93.2 $93.2

-18.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$143 $143

-36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$4,114 $4,114

-76.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$3,602 $3,602

-89.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$7,880 $7,880

-78.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$6,515 $6,515

-82.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$10.8K $10.8K

-62.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$7,455 $7,455

-16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$4,996 $4,996

-84.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.55

74.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Aspen, CO: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Aspen, CO

$3.6K 70.2% 835% $3.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Aspen, CO

$469 9.1% 80.1% $209

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Aspen, CO

$339 6.6% 66% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Aspen, CO

$295 5.7% 115% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Aspen, CO

$159 3.1% 39.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Aspen, CO

$169 3.3% 125% $94

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Aspen, CO

$100 * 1.9% 91.3% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,114 in Aspen, CO. 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 559% higher in Aspen, 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $81.0 in Aspen, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $469 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Aspen, CO

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

7,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Aspen, CO 2,790 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Aspen, CO

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

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

Aspen, CO costs about 319% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $7,633 in Aspen, CO. 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.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Aspen, CO, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $81.0 in Aspen, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Aspen, CO at $5,088. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aspen, CO it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,215 versus $5,088 in Aspen, CO. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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