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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,702 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,357 in Colima.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Colima 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.79 MX$134

48.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$35.34 MX$609

33.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.52 MX$130

57.98%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.29 MX$39.48

73.80%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.11 MX$19.14

28.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.87 MX$14.92

-5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.39 MX$41.20

33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.66 MX$45.90

155.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.50 MX$25.83

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.79 MX$48.06

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.45 MX$24.96

17.93%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$2.66 MX$45.93

3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.43 MX$163

1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.98 MX$155

0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.67 MX$184

20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.04 MX$52.4

-4.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.64 MX$28.31

-8.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$2.59 MX$44.74

-16.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.64 MX$45.58

-14.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$2.45 MX$42.23

-19.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$2.55 MX$44.00

-21.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.53 MX$26.40

-19.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.21 MX$20.92

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.86 MX$66.5

17.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.90 MX$154

16.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.96 MX$33.82

46.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.71 MX$12.27

-15.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$21.07 MX$363

36.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$2.68 MX$46.26

101.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$2.99 MX$51.6

24.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$17.36 MX$299

-66.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.48 MX$25.47

4.05%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$22.8K MX$392.7K

-1.01%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$23.8K MX$409.8K

9.64%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$69.0 MX$1,190

32.43%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$21.91 MX$378

15.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$31.61 MX$545

-1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$37.78 MX$651

77.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$23.40 MX$403

24.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.90 MX$84.5

-0.82%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$156 MX$2,691

43.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$2,644 MX$45.6K

59.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$47.30 MX$816

-0.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$31.77 MX$548

39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$83.4 MX$1,438

-3.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$110 MX$1,893

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$280 MX$4,821

280.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$284 MX$4,901

37.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$394 MX$6,799

444.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$628 MX$10.8K

102.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$300 MX$5,180

152.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Colima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 152% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Colima. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $276, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,047 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 152% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $156 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,047 in Colima versus $1,266 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.