Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $919 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,490 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,062 in Colima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Colima 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.31 MX$110

89.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$31.38 MX$549

36.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$8.07 MX$141

31.23%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.14 MX$37.37

69.16%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.77 MX$13.43

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.54 MX$9.49

74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.74 MX$30.37

77.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.71 MX$47.42

64.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.40 MX$24.48

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.48 MX$43.31

-24.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.31 MX$23.00

24.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.27 MX$39.72

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$5.65 MX$98.9

45.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.72 MX$135

7.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.72 MX$170

14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.79 MX$48.78

-5.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.34 MX$23.37

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.46 MX$25.60

36.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.13 MX$37.32

-2.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.73 MX$30.35

3.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.41 MX$42.13

-9.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.35 MX$23.68

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.07 MX$18.73

-2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.67 MX$64.3

8.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.75 MX$118

51.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.58 MX$27.65

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.89 MX$33.04

32.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.64 MX$11.24

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$19.44 MX$340

38.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.35 MX$41.13

33.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.58 MX$27.72

51.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.20 MX$144

-62.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.28 MX$22.36

-0.78%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.0K MX$385.1K

40.35%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$21.9K MX$383.2K

6.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$64.2 MX$1,124

27.74%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$19.37 MX$339

15.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$30.27 MX$530

-2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$34.22 MX$599

51.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.06 MX$369

-11.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.37 MX$76.6

13.73%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$139 MX$2,432

42.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,407 MX$42.1K

119.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$46.97 MX$822

-22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$28.98 MX$507

38.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$86.9 MX$1,520

-8.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$97.2 MX$1,700

-8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$517 MX$9,040

86.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$248 MX$4,344

87.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$332 MX$5,819

380.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$548 MX$9,597

120.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,797 MX$31.5K

119.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,389 MX$24.3K

364.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$296 MX$5,183

143.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.07

3.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Colima: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $517 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $230 per month, with Colima cheaper across the board.

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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Colima differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $919 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 143% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $139 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $919 in Colima versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Colima 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Colima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.