Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in Kirkwall versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,450 in Kirkwall versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Kirkwall versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kirkwall is roughly 84% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kirkwall is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.28 £18.68

$11.61 MX$201

117.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 £60.0

$42.75 MX$740

89.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 £7.31

$10.60 MX$184

-6.70%

Cappuccino

$4.02 £2.97

$3.59 MX$62.2

11.98%

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

$2.33 £1.72

$1.45 MX$25.15

60.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.17

$0.90 MX$15.55

76.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 £4.05

$3.03 MX$52.5

80.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 £4.70

$4.56 MX$79.0

39.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.18

$1.45 MX$25.14

10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.83 MX$31.64

-9.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.64

$1.61 MX$27.85

37.89%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.93

$2.54 MX$43.95

56.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 £7.20

$8.54 MX$148

14.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 £6.36

$8.47 MX$147

1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.58

$10.86 MX$188

31.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.33

$2.73 MX$47.26

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.49 MX$25.85

9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.12

$1.94 MX$33.65

47.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 £2.62

$2.16 MX$37.49

63.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.85 MX$31.97

-11.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.14

$2.19 MX$37.91

-29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.79

$1.07 MX$18.58

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.08 MX$18.76

35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.36 £14.31

$4.06 MX$70.3

376.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.91

$10.46 MX$181

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.06

$1.65 MX$28.64

69.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.28

$2.55 MX$44.13

20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.42

$0.56 MX$9.63

483.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 £66.7

$26.20 MX$454

244.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 £4.13

$3.14 MX$54.4

78.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.18

$2.37 MX$41.08

-32.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.01 £17.00

$3.24 MX$56.1

610.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.31 MX$22.76

49.62%

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

$39.0K £28.8K

$30.5K MX$528.9K

27.68%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$23.8K MX$412.6K

72.41%

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

$291 £215

$83.1 MX$1,440

250.13%

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

$17.00 £12.57

$22.15 MX$384

-23.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.62 £31.50

$29.37 MX$509

45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 £19.43

$51.2 MX$887

-48.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 £9.91

$4.89 MX$84.7

174.23%

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

$1,575 £1,164

$199 MX$3,441

692.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$5,207 MX$90.2K

248.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 £63.0

$35.93 MX$622

137.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 £32.57

$39.39 MX$682

11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 £69.3

$80.3 MX$1,391

16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 £73.7

$87.6 MX$1,517

13.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 £890

$963 MX$16.7K

24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 £739

$482 MX$8,350

107.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 £1,528

$1,645 MX$28.5K

25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 £1,251

$1,192 MX$20.6K

41.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,959 £1,448

$726 MX$12.6K

169.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: April 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in Kirkwall and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 170% 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: $81 in Kirkwall vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $253 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

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

Kirkwall and Playa del Carmen differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,318 vs $1,262 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kirkwall pays 170% 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: $1,204 in Kirkwall versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $81.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,318 per month in Kirkwall versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,318 in Kirkwall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kirkwall. 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, Kirkwall 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 84% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.