Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Collado Villalba Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Collado Villalba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,776 in Collado Villalba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,468 in Collado Villalba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,160 in Collado Villalba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 29% cheaper than Collado Villalba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Collado Villalba is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$14.16 €12.26

-17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$29.38 €25.44

42.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.46 €8.19

11.10%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.60 €1.39

124.37%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$2.93 €2.54

-48.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.42 €1.23

-35.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$3.49 €3.02

-15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.35 €2.03

87.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.10 €0.96

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.06 €0.92

77.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.19 €1.89

-28.77%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.79 €2.42

-6.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$23.06 €19.97

-63.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$11.72 €10.15

-28.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$23.74 €20.56

-54.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.85 €2.47

-4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.14 €1.85

-29.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.91 €1.65

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.18 €3.62

-47.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.81 €1.57

2.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.02 €1.75

10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.99 €1.73

-46.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.66 €0.57

65.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$6.22 €5.39

-32.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.21 €8.85

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.24 €1.08

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.35 €2.03

11.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.70 €1.47

-68.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$34.72 €30.07

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$4.55 €3.94

-32.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.38 €1.20

73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$23.44 €20.30

-86.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.81 €1.56

-27.62%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$38.7K €33.5K

-22.91%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$39.7K €34.3K

-41.19%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$199 €172

-59.17%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$26.48 €22.93

-14.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$31.85 €27.58

-5.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$48.26 €41.79

9.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.92 €12.92

23.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$9.03 €7.82

-45.51%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$268 €232

-24.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,975 €6,041

-25.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$85.9 €74.4

-58.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$36.89 €31.95

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$81.3 €70.4

-1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$88.9 €77.0

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$839 €727

16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$705 €610

-33.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,329 €1,151

24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,001 €867

20.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$3,357 €2,907

17.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,221 €1,924

197.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$2,524 €2,186

-73.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.38

237.87%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Collado Villalba: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 in Collado Villalba. 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 273% higher in Collado Villalba, 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Collado Villalba. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $353 in Collado Villalba – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Collado Villalba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $1,776 in Collado Villalba – roughly 41% apart. Collado Villalba costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,664 in Collado Villalba. 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,776 in Collado Villalba. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,260, than in Collado Villalba at $1,776. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Collado Villalba 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen to $1,776 in Collado Villalba. 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, Collado Villalba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.