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: $1,482 in Kingston versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,489 in Kingston versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Kingston versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kingston is roughly 18% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 11% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 JMD 1,176

$11.99 MX$210

-37.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 JMD 9,720

$41.78 MX$731

47.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.58 JMD 1,352

$10.75 MX$188

-20.19%

Cappuccino

$4.39 JMD 692

$3.50 MX$61.1

25.43%

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

$1.33 JMD 209

$1.45 MX$25.33

-8.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 JMD 117

$0.88 MX$15.47

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 JMD 383

$2.95 MX$51.6

-17.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 JMD 489

$4.51 MX$78.9

-31.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.33 JMD 682

$1.43 MX$25.04

202.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$1.84 MX$32.13

89.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 JMD 258

$1.57 MX$27.42

4.46%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 568

$2.51 MX$43.92

43.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 JMD 1,765

$8.28 MX$145

35.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.45 JMD 1,016

$8.43 MX$147

-23.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 JMD 1,232

$10.68 MX$187

-26.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 945

$2.61 MX$45.62

129.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 JMD 470

$1.44 MX$25.15

106.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 JMD 663

$1.96 MX$34.31

114.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 JMD 457

$2.09 MX$36.62

38.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 JMD 319

$1.85 MX$32.37

9.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 JMD 315

$2.17 MX$37.90

-7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 475

$1.03 MX$18.04

192.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 JMD 238

$1.07 MX$18.78

41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 JMD 1,357

$4.10 MX$71.7

110.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 JMD 1,808

$10.17 MX$178

12.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 438

$1.68 MX$29.29

65.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 JMD 480

$2.53 MX$44.17

20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$0.51 MX$8.90

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 JMD 7,751

$26.04 MX$455

88.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 JMD 171

$3.23 MX$56.5

-66.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 JMD 507

$2.41 MX$42.06

33.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 JMD 999

$3.23 MX$56.5

96.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 JMD 196

$1.32 MX$23.10

-6.06%

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

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

$29.7K MX$519.2K

46.31%

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

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

$23.7K MX$413.7K

44.09%

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

$161 JMD 25.3K

$82.0 MX$1,434

96.07%

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

$22.24 JMD 3,504

$22.95 MX$401

-3.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 JMD 8,191

$30.11 MX$527

72.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

$52.0 MX$909

32.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 JMD 2,508

$18.53 MX$324

-14.14%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,109

$4.98 MX$87.0

168.67%

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

$222 JMD 35.0K

$197 MX$3,452

12.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-52.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.81 JMD 4,068

$35.60 MX$622

-27.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 JMD 4,017

$40.33 MX$705

-36.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

$78.8 MX$1,377

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

$88.9 MX$1,555

-15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 JMD 138.6K

$947 MX$16.6K

-7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 JMD 71.2K

$474 MX$8,288

-4.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

22.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-1.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-29.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-66.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 JMD 115.4K

$654 MX$11.4K

11.97%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Kingston and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 12% 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 $351 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 18% 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.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Kingston, 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 $947 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 $197 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 41% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,482 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 $1,256 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 18% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.