Cost of Living Comparison Between Kempton Park and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kempton Park and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,251 in Kempton Park versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,914 in Kempton Park versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Kempton Park versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kempton Park costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kempton Park 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R 147

$11.96 MX$203

-23.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 R 621

$47.38 MX$804

-18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 R 101

$11.75 MX$199

-46.55%

Cappuccino

$2.56 R 41.27

$4.12 MX$70.0

-37.86%

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

$1.09 R 17.53

$1.40 MX$23.74

-22.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 13.99

$0.91 MX$15.48

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.44

$3.21 MX$54.4

-21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R 44.81

$7.07 MX$120

-60.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 R 22.48

$1.68 MX$28.44

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 R 18.78

$2.15 MX$36.48

-45.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.50

$1.77 MX$30.10

6.78%

Eggs

$2.54 R 40.90

$2.82 MX$47.76

-9.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 R 139

$9.20 MX$156

-6.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.30 R 85.3

$9.23 MX$157

-42.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 R 148

$12.64 MX$214

-27.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R 32.48

$2.95 MX$50.1

-31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R 27.98

$1.58 MX$26.79

10.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.47

$2.22 MX$37.70

-14.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 R 32.87

$2.36 MX$40.09

-13.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.44

$1.99 MX$33.81

-8.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 R 27.92

$1.98 MX$33.58

-12.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 R 19.39

$1.24 MX$21.04

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.29

$1.21 MX$20.55

14.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 R 54.9

$4.60 MX$78.1

-25.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 R 90.4

$10.52 MX$178

-46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 28.27

$1.69 MX$28.70

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 39.45

$2.77 MX$47.06

-11.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 25.70

$0.60 MX$10.22

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 R 1,014

$29.70 MX$504

111.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.17

$5.24 MX$88.8

-93.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R 13.38

$3.65 MX$61.9

-77.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.13 R 244

$5.78 MX$98.1

161.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 R 25.11

$1.54 MX$26.09

1.30%

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

$36.9K R 594.5K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

61.90%

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

$32.8K R 527.8K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

26.98%

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

$187 R 3,007

$90.7 MX$1,538

105.91%

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

$38.63 R 622

$25.19 MX$427

53.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.36 R 618

$31.75 MX$539

20.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 R 628

$68.8 MX$1,167

-43.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 R 200

$29.37 MX$498

-57.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.20 R 132

$4.86 MX$82.5

68.72%

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

$274 R 4,417

$226 MX$3,828

21.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,641 R 90.8K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

34.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 R 882

$47.38 MX$804

15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.31 R 536

$43.45 MX$737

-23.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 R 1,514

$80.2 MX$1,361

17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.4 R 1,376

$91.4 MX$1,550

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 R 5,038

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-71.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 R 5,922

$409 MX$6,933

-10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 R 12.2K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-61.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$787 R 12.7K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-38.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$915 R 14.7K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-77.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$647 R 10.4K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-90.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 R 10.5K

$773 MX$13.1K

-15.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.45

-1.75%

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

Last update for Kempton Park: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $313 in Kempton Park and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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: $39.00 in Kempton Park vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $278 per month, with Kempton Park 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

Kempton Park vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempton Park wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kempton Park the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $313 in Kempton Park versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kempton Park – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,251 in Kempton Park versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kempton Park but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kempton Park the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kempton Park delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,251 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kempton Park hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kempton Park and Playa del Carmen 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 Kempton Park gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.