Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingsport, TN and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,973 in Kingsport, TN, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Kingsport, TN
Learn more

Kingsport, TN Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Kingsport, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,973

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingsport, TN and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kingsport, TN and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,973 per month in Kingsport, TN vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kingsport, TN $1,973
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,211 per month in Kingsport, TN vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kingsport, TN $3,211
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,448 per month in Kingsport, TN vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kingsport, TN $4,448
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Kingsport, TN costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kingsport, TN sits 45% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$10.92 MX$204

62.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.9 $55.9

$43.37 MX$808

28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 $11.18

$11.78 MX$220

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$3.81 MX$71.0

32.02%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$1.28 MX$23.90

76.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.78 MX$14.59

142.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.17 MX$59.0

38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.93 MX$92.0

46.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.41 MX$26.22

-37.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.22 MX$41.33

19.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.42 MX$26.42

59.15%

Eggs

$3.41 $3.41

$2.52 MX$47.03

35.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$7.26 MX$135

90.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$7.70 MX$143

10.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 $17.03

$12.69 MX$237

34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.78 MX$51.9

98.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.37 MX$25.50

-12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.55 MX$47.55

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.12 MX$39.58

120.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.94 MX$36.13

20.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.89 MX$35.16

63.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.15 MX$21.37

83.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.18 MX$21.98

77.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 $8.10

$4.30 MX$80.1

88.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$9.95 MX$185

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.58 MX$29.52

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.67 MX$49.79

76.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 $0.61

$3.33 MX$62.1

-81.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.44 MX$26.92

-39.58%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

76.62%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

9.49%

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

$122 $122

$84.8 MX$1,581

43.80%

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

$49.80 $49.80

$23.41 MX$436

112.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$28.66 MX$534

127.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 $41.65

$57.1 MX$1,063

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$12.30 $12.30

$5.14 MX$95.8

139.30%

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

$568 $568

$207 MX$3,851

174.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.12 $44.12

$43.35 MX$808

1.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 $34.51

$41.44 MX$772

-16.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 $91.1

$74.2 MX$1,383

22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$89.3 MX$1,664

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 $1,093

$980 MX$18.3K

11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 $902

$381 MX$7,099

136.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 $2,427

$1,708 MX$31.8K

42.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 $2,064

$1,075 MX$20.0K

92.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,887 $1,887

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-52.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,890 $1,890

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-69.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,740 $3,740

$735 MX$13.7K

409.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.45

-40.70%

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

Last update for Kingsport, TN: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kingsport, TN

$902 45.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 57.8% $521

Groceries & Markets

Kingsport, TN

$351 17.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 27.5% $97

Eating Out

Kingsport, TN

$288 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 29.8% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingsport, TN

$237 12%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 42.2% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Kingsport, TN

$126 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Kingsport, TN

$66 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 1.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Kingsport, TN

$3 * 0.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 1565% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,093 in Kingsport, TN versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kingsport, TN are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Kingsport, TN versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kingsport, TN

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:04 12:04 PM

11:04 11:04 AM

1 h behind Kingsport, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,014

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kingsport, TN Playa del Carmen 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kingsport, TN
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Kingsport, TN vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,973 in Kingsport, TN, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 64% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,960 per month in Kingsport, TN and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,093 in Kingsport, TN.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56 in Kingsport, TN and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Kingsport, TN, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Kingsport, TN at $1,973. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kingsport, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingsport, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.