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: $3,339 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,816 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,293 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 166% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston upon Thames is 150% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.36 £17.37

$11.99 MX$210

94.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.3 £64.2

$41.78 MX$733

106.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 £7.52

$10.75 MX$189

-5.95%

Cappuccino

$5.12 £3.81

$3.50 MX$61.3

46.29%

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

$2.85 £2.12

$1.45 MX$25.41

96.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$0.88 MX$15.52

103.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 £6.41

$2.95 MX$51.7

192.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 £5.96

$4.51 MX$79.1

77.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.43 MX$25.12

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 £1.12

$1.84 MX$32.23

-18.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.57 MX$27.51

76.43%

Eggs

$4.13 £3.07

$2.51 MX$44.06

64.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 £7.55

$8.28 MX$145

22.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 £6.63

$8.43 MX$148

5.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.07

$10.68 MX$187

39.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$2.61 MX$45.76

31.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 £1.51

$1.44 MX$25.22

40.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 £2.28

$1.96 MX$34.41

56.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$2.09 MX$36.74

65.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.85 MX$32.47

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.17 MX$38.02

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$1.03 MX$18.09

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.07 MX$18.84

78.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 £13.46

$4.10 MX$72.0

341.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 £8.36

$10.17 MX$178

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$1.68 MX$29.38

95.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 £3.01

$2.53 MX$44.31

60.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 £1.76

$0.51 MX$8.93

362.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.68 £32.49

$26.04 MX$457

67.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$3.23 MX$56.7

58.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.41 MX$42.19

-9.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 £25.45

$3.23 MX$56.6

959.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.32 MX$23.17

48.48%

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

$38.4K £28.5K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

29.18%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

66.23%

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

$329 £244

$82.0 MX$1,439

300.59%

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

$15.66 £11.65

$22.95 MX$403

-31.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.27 £30.70

$30.11 MX$528

37.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.0 £67.7

$52.0 MX$912

75.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.75 £7.25

$18.53 MX$325

-47.38%

Cinema Ticket

$20.73 £15.42

$4.98 MX$87.3

316.27%

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

$1,896 £1,410

$197 MX$3,463

860.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

236.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 £64.5

$35.60 MX$624

143.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 £31.76

$40.33 MX$707

5.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 £66.9

$78.8 MX$1,381

14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 £103

$88.9 MX$1,560

55.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 £1,520

$947 MX$16.6K

115.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 £1,384

$474 MX$8,314

292.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,743 £2,784

$1,644 MX$28.8K

127.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,262 £2,426

$1,211 MX$21.2K

169.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K £12.1K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

301.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,372 £3,252

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-32.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,830 £3,592

$654 MX$11.5K

638.64%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 639% 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: $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 166% in total monthly costs ($3,339 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 639% 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: $2,044 in Kingston upon Thames versus $947 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 68% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,896 in Kingston upon Thames versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,339 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 166% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.