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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Kingston versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,475 in Kingston versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,498 in Kingston versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kingston is roughly 12% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 8% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 JMD 1,192

$11.73 MX$203

-35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.0 JMD 9,707

$41.62 MX$720

48.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 JMD 1,379

$10.64 MX$184

-17.29%

Cappuccino

$4.36 JMD 682

$3.52 MX$60.9

23.86%

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

$1.32 JMD 207

$1.51 MX$26.12

-12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.97 MX$16.84

-23.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 JMD 403

$2.95 MX$51.0

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 501

$4.45 MX$77.0

-28.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.36 JMD 684

$1.38 MX$23.93

215.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 JMD 573

$1.89 MX$32.72

93.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 JMD 246

$1.64 MX$28.32

-4.27%

Eggs

$3.47 JMD 543

$2.51 MX$43.34

38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 JMD 1,754

$8.34 MX$144

34.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.42 JMD 1,007

$8.34 MX$144

-23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,225

$10.73 MX$186

-27.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 JMD 933

$2.60 MX$45.04

129.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 JMD 491

$1.46 MX$25.20

114.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 JMD 673

$1.90 MX$32.87

126.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 464

$2.08 MX$35.91

42.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 JMD 317

$1.78 MX$30.71

14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 JMD 315

$2.19 MX$37.80

-8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.12 JMD 489

$1.04 MX$17.99

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 JMD 227

$1.08 MX$18.62

34.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 JMD 1,393

$4.08 MX$70.6

117.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 JMD 1,769

$10.32 MX$178

9.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 JMD 454

$1.71 MX$29.61

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 JMD 502

$2.58 MX$44.54

24.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 JMD 140

$0.51 MX$8.81

74.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.53 JMD 7,604

$26.46 MX$458

83.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 JMD 176

$3.26 MX$56.4

-65.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 JMD 494

$2.49 MX$43.09

26.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.19 JMD 971

$3.25 MX$56.2

90.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 JMD 201

$1.31 MX$22.61

-2.29%

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

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

42.63%

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

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

44.14%

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

$163 JMD 25.5K

$82.9 MX$1,433

96.48%

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

$22.49 JMD 3,523

$22.22 MX$384

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 JMD 7,942

$29.34 MX$507

72.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

$51.6 MX$893

34.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.50 JMD 2,428

$18.32 MX$317

-15.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 JMD 2,024

$5.07 MX$87.6

154.83%

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

$222 JMD 34.8K

$201 MX$3,473

10.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-52.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.73 JMD 4,032

$36.92 MX$639

-30.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 JMD 3,955

$39.79 MX$688

-36.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 137.9K

$973 MX$16.8K

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 70.7K

$468 MX$8,090

-3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

23.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-1.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-27.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-66.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 114.7K

$664 MX$11.5K

10.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.15

11.42

-19.88%

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

Last update for Kingston: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 10% 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: $62.0 in Kingston vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kingston pays 10% more on average, 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: $880 in Kingston versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Kingston 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 42% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,451 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.