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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,449 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,925 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,400 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 167% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston upon Thames is 151% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.44 £16.64

$11.71 MX$199

91.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £64.6

$46.59 MX$791

86.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 £8.17

$11.65 MX$198

-5.49%

Cappuccino

$5.61 £4.16

$4.09 MX$69.5

37.16%

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

$3.06 £2.27

$1.37 MX$23.34

123.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$0.83 MX$14.16

119.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.62 £7.13

$3.35 MX$56.9

187.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.86 £6.57

$6.91 MX$117

28.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.73 MX$29.33

1.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.26 MX$38.39

-23.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 £1.80

$1.77 MX$30.05

36.72%

Eggs

$5.06 £3.76

$2.73 MX$46.41

85.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.85 £6.56

$9.18 MX$156

-3.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.77 £6.50

$8.92 MX$151

-1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 £9.81

$12.60 MX$214

5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.49

$3.02 MX$51.3

10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.57 MX$26.68

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 £1.91

$2.13 MX$36.10

20.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 £2.09

$2.26 MX$38.46

24.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.00 MX$34.04

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$2.06 MX$35.06

-10.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.18 MX$20.04

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.34

$1.20 MX$20.45

50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.17 £17.93

$4.63 MX$78.7

422.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.51 £7.06

$10.69 MX$182

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.38

$1.62 MX$27.50

98.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 £3.36

$2.88 MX$48.93

57.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 £1.72

$0.57 MX$9.74

307.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.12 £32.72

$29.83 MX$507

47.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 £3.65

$5.45 MX$92.5

-9.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 £1.08

$3.70 MX$62.9

-60.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.58 £18.23

$5.98 MX$102

311.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.55 MX$26.38

27.74%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

78.30%

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

$41.8K £31.0K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

61.21%

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

$365 £271

$89.1 MX$1,514

310.05%

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

$15.96 £11.84

$25.04 MX$425

-36.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 £31.53

$31.50 MX$535

34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 £77.4

$67.8 MX$1,151

53.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 £8.11

$28.92 MX$491

-62.21%

Cinema Ticket

$20.72 £15.37

$5.05 MX$85.8

310.30%

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

$2,729 £2,024

$225 MX$3,820

1113.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K £16.8K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

435.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 £85.7

$47.44 MX$806

143.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 £40.12

$44.98 MX$764

20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 £59.4

$82.0 MX$1,392

-2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 £79.4

$92.1 MX$1,564

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 £1,532

$1,069 MX$18.2K

93.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 £1,394

$405 MX$6,884

363.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,730 £2,766

$1,935 MX$32.9K

92.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,235 £2,399

$1,301 MX$22.1K

148.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,416 £4,017

$749 MX$12.7K

623.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.84

11.45

-57.73%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 623% 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: $87.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 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 upon Thames vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston upon Thames and Playa del Carmen differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($3,449 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 623% higher in Kingston upon Thames, 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: $2,066 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 48% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,729 in Kingston upon Thames versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,449 in Kingston upon Thames, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kingston upon Thames 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 167% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.