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: $3,330 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,854 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,379 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 157% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston upon Thames is 149% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.67 £16.85

$11.73 MX$203

93.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.6 £64.4

$41.62 MX$720

108.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 £7.63

$10.64 MX$184

-3.57%

Cappuccino

$5.29 £3.93

$3.52 MX$60.9

50.28%

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

$2.87 £2.13

$1.51 MX$26.12

90.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.97 MX$16.84

92.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 £6.44

$2.95 MX$51.0

193.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 £6.16

$4.45 MX$77.0

86.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.38 MX$23.93

20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.89 MX$32.72

-18.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$1.64 MX$28.32

71.34%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.06

$2.51 MX$43.34

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.48

$8.34 MX$144

20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.82 £6.56

$8.34 MX$144

5.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.06

$10.73 MX$186

38.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 £2.53

$2.60 MX$45.04

31.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.46 MX$25.20

39.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.19

$1.90 MX$32.87

55.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.68

$2.08 MX$35.91

73.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.78 MX$30.71

-15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.19 MX$37.80

-14.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.04 MX$17.99

0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.08 MX$18.62

79.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.64 £13.11

$4.08 MX$70.6

332.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 £8.43

$10.32 MX$178

9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$1.71 MX$29.61

85.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.92

$2.58 MX$44.54

52.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 £1.75

$0.51 MX$8.81

362.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.38 £32.25

$26.46 MX$458

63.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$3.26 MX$56.4

57.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.49 MX$43.09

-12.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.62 £25.73

$3.25 MX$56.2

965.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.31 MX$22.61

48.85%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

26.25%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

66.26%

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

$327 £243

$82.9 MX$1,433

294.39%

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

$15.81 £11.75

$22.22 MX$384

-28.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.55 £30.88

$29.34 MX$507

41.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 £67.4

$51.6 MX$893

75.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.37 £6.96

$18.32 MX$317

-48.85%

Cinema Ticket

$20.44 £15.19

$5.07 MX$87.6

303.16%

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

$1,892 £1,407

$201 MX$3,473

842.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K £13.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

237.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 £64.4

$36.92 MX$639

134.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 £31.73

$39.79 MX$688

7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 £64.5

$78.5 MX$1,357

10.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 £104

$87.1 MX$1,506

60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 £1,540

$973 MX$16.8K

113.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,865 £1,386

$468 MX$8,090

298.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 £2,769

$1,641 MX$28.4K

126.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,252 £2,417

$1,221 MX$21.1K

166.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.6K £12.3K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

320.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 £3,252

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-32.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,768 £3,544

$664 MX$11.5K

618.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

11.42

-48.34%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 618% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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 upon Thames vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston upon Thames and Playa del Carmen differ by about 157% in total monthly costs ($3,330 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kingston upon Thames pays 618% 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: $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames versus $973 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 64% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,892 in Kingston upon Thames versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,330 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 157% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.