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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,301 in Kilkenny versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,172 in Kilkenny versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,043 in Kilkenny versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kilkenny is roughly 83% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kilkenny is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.12 €13.96

$11.72 MX$203

37.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 €60.0

$41.89 MX$725

65.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.90

$10.51 MX$182

-2.28%

Cappuccino

$4.19 €3.63

$3.59 MX$62.0

16.71%

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

$2.27 €1.97

$1.51 MX$26.10

50.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.92 MX$15.83

90.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 €5.22

$2.96 MX$51.2

103.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 €5.90

$4.41 MX$76.3

54.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.40 MX$24.16

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.88 MX$32.60

9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.56 MX$26.97

11.54%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.61 MX$45.14

24.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 €8.26

$8.32 MX$144

14.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 €8.06

$8.35 MX$145

11.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 €7.07

$10.86 MX$188

-24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.71 MX$46.93

-16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.51 MX$26.04

15.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 €2.97

$1.87 MX$32.41

83.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.19 MX$37.89

-7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.86 MX$32.14

-34.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.03

$2.23 MX$38.59

-46.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.07 MX$18.48

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.09 MX$18.79

-6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 €16.88

$4.19 MX$72.4

365.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 €11.61

$10.43 MX$180

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.53

$1.66 MX$28.68

75.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.43

$2.61 MX$45.19

7.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.06

$0.54 MX$9.37

340.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 €86.6

$26.16 MX$453

282.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 €4.47

$3.08 MX$53.3

67.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 €1.00

$2.40 MX$41.61

-51.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.52

$3.13 MX$54.1

1026.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.31 MX$22.69

58.02%

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

$37.5K €32.5K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

25.97%

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

$21.6K €18.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-7.52%

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

$157 €136

$81.3 MX$1,406

92.97%

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

$22.01 €19.06

$22.56 MX$390

-2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 €43.41

$30.05 MX$520

66.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €48.09

$52.9 MX$915

4.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.59 €10.04

$18.39 MX$318

-36.98%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.95

$4.92 MX$85.1

180.49%

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

$1,015 €879

$201 MX$3,474

405.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,393 €6,402

$5,175 MX$89.5K

42.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €64.9

$35.92 MX$622

108.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.28 €20.16

$40.13 MX$694

-41.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 €70.5

$79.7 MX$1,379

2.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 €69.9

$86.5 MX$1,496

-6.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 €1,285

$978 MX$16.9K

51.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 €1,046

$470 MX$8,140

156.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 €2,087

$1,651 MX$28.6K

45.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 €1,427

$1,203 MX$20.8K

36.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,217 €7,116

$3,953 MX$68.4K

107.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 €1,990

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-65.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,760 €2,391

$677 MX$11.7K

307.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

11.42

-62.61%

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

Last update for Kilkenny: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,484 in Kilkenny and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilkenny pays 308% 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: $69.0 in Kilkenny vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 308% higher in Kilkenny, 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: $1,484 in Kilkenny versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,015 in Kilkenny versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Kilkenny. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,301 in Kilkenny, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kilkenny. 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 Kilkenny, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kilkenny 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 83% less than in Kilkenny. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.