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: $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Kingston versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,093 in Kingston versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kingston is roughly 30% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston is 23% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 JMD 2,513

$11.71 MX$199

36.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

$46.59 MX$792

59.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 JMD 1,388

$11.65 MX$198

-24.38%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 823

$4.09 MX$69.6

27.63%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.37 MX$23.35

-13.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.83 MX$14.17

-16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

$3.35 MX$57.0

-34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$6.91 MX$117

-55.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 639

$1.73 MX$29.35

134.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 JMD 589

$2.26 MX$38.41

65.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 JMD 261

$1.77 MX$30.07

-6.21%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 570

$2.73 MX$46.43

32.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,826

$9.18 MX$156

26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$8.92 MX$152

-30.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 JMD 1,595

$12.60 MX$214

-19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 964

$3.02 MX$51.3

102.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.99 JMD 629

$1.57 MX$26.69

154.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,179

$2.13 MX$36.12

251.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 491

$2.26 MX$38.48

37.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 510

$2.00 MX$34.05

61.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$2.06 MX$35.08

28.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 474

$1.18 MX$20.05

155.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$1.20 MX$20.46

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 JMD 1,534

$4.63 MX$78.8

110.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,785

$10.69 MX$182

5.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$1.62 MX$27.52

71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$2.88 MX$48.96

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$0.57 MX$9.74

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,082

$29.83 MX$507

29.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$5.45 MX$92.6

-77.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 496

$3.70 MX$63.0

-15.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 JMD 970

$5.98 MX$102

2.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 215

$1.55 MX$26.40

-12.26%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$22.3K MX$379.4K

95.66%

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

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

$25.9K MX$441.0K

24.86%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$89.1 MX$1,515

92.84%

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

$29.66 JMD 4,675

$25.04 MX$426

18.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,278

$31.50 MX$535

66.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 JMD 9,862

$67.8 MX$1,152

-7.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,827

$28.92 MX$491

-37.97%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 JMD 2,103

$5.05 MX$85.8

164.36%

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

$367 JMD 57.8K

$225 MX$3,823

63.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

$4,222 MX$71.8K

96.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.88 JMD 3,764

$47.44 MX$806

-49.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 JMD 5,020

$44.98 MX$764

-29.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$82.0 MX$1,393

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$92.1 MX$1,565

10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 JMD 153.2K

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.7K

$405 MX$6,888

38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

9.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

10.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-27.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-69.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.3K

$749 MX$12.7K

1.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.45

-17.47%

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

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Kingston and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 1% 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: $74.0 in Kingston vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 30% 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 1% 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: $972 in Kingston versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Kingston versus $225 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 39% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,684 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 $1,293 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 30% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.