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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,992 in Kettering versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,630 in Kettering versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,267 in Kettering versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kettering is roughly 54% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kettering is 45% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 £14.76

$11.71 MX$198

70.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 £60.7

$46.59 MX$788

76.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 £8.10

$11.65 MX$197

-5.92%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.52

$4.09 MX$69.2

16.38%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$1.37 MX$23.23

54.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.83 MX$14.09

91.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 £4.37

$3.35 MX$56.7

76.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 £4.05

$6.91 MX$117

-20.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.12

$1.73 MX$29.20

-12.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 £1.33

$2.26 MX$38.21

-19.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 £2.03

$1.77 MX$29.91

54.80%

Eggs

$4.08 £3.01

$2.73 MX$46.19

49.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 £7.16

$9.18 MX$155

5.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 £5.44

$8.92 MX$151

-17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.10 £12.64

$12.60 MX$213

35.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 £2.45

$3.02 MX$51.1

9.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.57 MX$26.55

3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.10

$2.13 MX$35.93

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 £2.44

$2.26 MX$38.28

46.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 £0.88

$2.00 MX$33.88

-40.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$2.06 MX$34.90

-11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.88

$1.18 MX$19.94

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.20 MX$20.35

10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$4.63 MX$78.4

422.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 £7.57

$10.69 MX$181

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 £2.47

$1.62 MX$27.38

106.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.57

$2.88 MX$48.70

-26.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 £1.96

$0.57 MX$9.69

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 £3.12

$5.45 MX$92.1

-22.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 £1.40

$3.70 MX$62.6

-48.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.09 £17.81

$5.98 MX$101

302.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.55 MX$26.26

30.97%

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

$38.3K £28.3K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

71.33%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

58.30%

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

$206 £152

$89.1 MX$1,507

130.81%

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

$16.72 £12.36

$25.04 MX$423

-33.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.44 £32.85

$31.50 MX$532

41.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.01 £29.57

$67.8 MX$1,146

-40.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$13.62 £10.06

$5.05 MX$85.4

169.70%

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

$1,480 £1,094

$225 MX$3,803

558.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K £11.5K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

267.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 £64.5

$47.44 MX$802

83.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.93 £27.30

$44.98 MX$760

-17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 £55.7

$82.0 MX$1,386

-8.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.2

$92.1 MX$1,557

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 £804

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 £659

$405 MX$6,852

119.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 £801

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 £576

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-40.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,332 £3,202

$749 MX$12.7K

478.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.06

11.45

-55.81%

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

Last update for Kettering: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,088 in Kettering and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kettering pays 479% 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: $82.0 in Kettering vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 479% higher in Kettering, 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: $1,088 in Kettering versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kettering. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,992 per month in Kettering versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,992 in Kettering, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kettering. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kettering, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kettering 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Kettering. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.