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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $924 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,495 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 in Colima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 38% more expensive than Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Colima 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.46 MX$111

83.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$31.81 MX$546

34.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.85 MX$135

35.67%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.14 MX$36.80

61.21%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.76 MX$13.13

97.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.54 MX$9.34

75.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.70 MX$29.11

78.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.83 MX$48.53

62.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.39 MX$23.80

-0.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.57 MX$44.15

-28.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.33 MX$22.79

21.05%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.35 MX$40.28

10.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$5.69 MX$97.6

45.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.77 MX$133

7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.85 MX$169

8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.88 MX$49.37

-8.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.35 MX$23.25

10.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.53 MX$26.23

25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.20 MX$37.78

-5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.72 MX$29.47

8.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.44 MX$41.96

-7.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.36 MX$23.29

-22.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.03 MX$17.65

5.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.55 MX$60.9

16.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.74 MX$116

54.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.63 MX$28.05

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.85 MX$31.80

41.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.66 MX$11.33

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$19.04 MX$327

41.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.44 MX$41.95

28.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.59 MX$27.26

57.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.40 MX$144

-62.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.29 MX$22.12

-1.55%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.6K MX$371.6K

40.30%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$21.8K MX$375.0K

7.87%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$64.9 MX$1,114

27.85%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$19.38 MX$333

17.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$30.37 MX$521

-3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$33.75 MX$579

51.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.34 MX$366

-14.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.55 MX$78.1

8.35%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$139 MX$2,394

41.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,416 MX$41.5K

118.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.81 MX$786

-19.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$28.05 MX$482

42.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$84.7 MX$1,453

-5.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$98.0 MX$1,682

-8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$503 MX$8,641

89.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$247 MX$4,242

93.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$331 MX$5,688

396.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$549 MX$9,418

123.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$305 MX$5,233

118.75%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Colima: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $503 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 119% 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 $32.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $233 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 38% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $924 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 119% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 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 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 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 $924 in Colima versus $1,271 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 38% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.