Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingstown and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,315 in Kingstown, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Kingstown despite lower rent and utilities.

63

Cost of Living Index in Kingstown
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Kingstown Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Kingstown

🇻🇨 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

$1,315

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kingstown and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kingstown and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,315 per month in Kingstown vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kingstown $1,315
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,996 per month in Kingstown vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kingstown $1,996
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,677 per month in Kingstown vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kingstown $2,677
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Kingstown costs about 9% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kingstown and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kingstown 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 EC$17.44

$10.92 MX$205

-40.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.91 EC$99.7

$43.37 MX$815

-14.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 EC$28.59

$11.78 MX$221

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$3.98 EC$10.75

$3.81 MX$71.6

4.46%

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

$2.30 EC$6.22

$1.28 MX$24.10

79.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$0.78 MX$14.71

139.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 EC$4.44

$3.17 MX$59.5

-48.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 EC$5.87

$4.93 MX$92.7

-55.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 EC$8.43

$1.41 MX$26.43

121.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 EC$5.60

$2.22 MX$41.66

-6.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 EC$3.97

$1.42 MX$26.64

3.52%

Eggs

$4.48 EC$12.08

$2.52 MX$47.41

77.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 EC$34.90

$7.26 MX$137

77.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 EC$10.58

$7.70 MX$145

-49.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.13 EC$32.76

$12.69 MX$239

-4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$9.49 EC$25.63

$2.78 MX$52.3

241.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.48 EC$9.39

$1.37 MX$25.71

154.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.56 EC$25.81

$2.55 MX$47.94

274.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.84 EC$15.76

$2.12 MX$39.90

175.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 EC$10.51

$1.94 MX$36.43

100.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.93 EC$10.62

$1.89 MX$35.44

107.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 EC$7.41

$1.15 MX$21.55

138.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 EC$6.17

$1.18 MX$22.16

94.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 EC$10.93

$4.30 MX$80.7

-5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.43 EC$44.37

$9.95 MX$187

65.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 EC$7.26

$1.58 MX$29.76

70.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 EC$6.45

$2.67 MX$50.2

-10.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 EC$3.29

$0.55 MX$10.40

121.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 EC$137

$26.62 MX$500

89.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.00 EC$29.70

$4.97 MX$93.4

121.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 EC$5.12

$3.33 MX$62.6

-42.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.81 EC$80.5

$5.36 MX$101

456.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$3.17 EC$8.56

$1.44 MX$27.14

120.14%

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

$37.7K EC$101.7K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

82.29%

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

$30.9K EC$83.5K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

31.81%

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

$73.6 EC$199

$84.8 MX$1,594

-13.16%

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

$34.52 EC$93.2

$23.41 MX$440

47.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 EC$142

$28.66 MX$539

83.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.25 EC$87.1

$57.1 MX$1,072

-43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.54 EC$12.27

$28.91 MX$543

-84.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 EC$12.46

$5.14 MX$96.6

-10.31%

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

$104 EC$280

$207 MX$3,882

-49.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 EC$172

$43.35 MX$815

46.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 EC$169

$41.44 MX$779

51.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 EC$201

$74.2 MX$1,394

0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 EC$249

$89.3 MX$1,677

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 EC$776

$980 MX$18.4K

-70.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 EC$888

$381 MX$7,157

-13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 EC$1,470

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-68.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 EC$1,310

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-54.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$598 EC$1,614

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-84.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$607 EC$1,638

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-90.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,081 EC$2,918

$735 MX$13.8K

47.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.45

-34.50%

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

Last update for Kingstown: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kingstown

$415 31.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 38.7% $161

Accommodation & Living

Kingstown

$329 25%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 15.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingstown

$161 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 14.9% $24

Eating Out

Kingstown

$160 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 26.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Kingstown

$132 10%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.2% $20

Getting Around

Kingstown

$76 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 33.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Kingstown

$41 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 62.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $287 in Kingstown versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 47% higher in Kingstown. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Kingstown versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $415 in Kingstown vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇨 Kingstown

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

03:08 3:08 AM

1 h behind Kingstown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,720 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kingstown Playa del Carmen 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingstown
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Kingstown is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,972 per month in Kingstown and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kingstown, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $287 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $104 per month in Kingstown and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,315 in Kingstown and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,315 in Kingstown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kingstown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.