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: $2,123 in Kirkwall versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,009 in Kirkwall versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Kirkwall versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kirkwall is roughly 64% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kirkwall is 55% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.90 £16.94

$11.71 MX$198

95.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 £69.6

$46.59 MX$787

102.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 £7.59

$11.65 MX$197

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$4.14 £3.07

$4.09 MX$69.1

1.22%

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

$3.05 £2.26

$1.37 MX$23.21

122.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$0.83 MX$14.08

61.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 £4.71

$3.35 MX$56.6

89.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.14

$6.91 MX$117

0.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 £0.63

$1.73 MX$29.16

-50.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.25

$2.26 MX$38.17

-25.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$1.77 MX$29.88

37.85%

Eggs

$3.31 £2.45

$2.73 MX$46.14

21.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 £4.94

$9.18 MX$155

-27.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 £6.61

$8.92 MX$151

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 £12.28

$12.60 MX$213

31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 £1.84

$3.02 MX$51.0

-17.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.57 MX$26.52

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 £1.57

$2.13 MX$35.89

-0.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.26 MX$38.23

-41.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.00 MX$33.84

-2.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 £0.82

$2.06 MX$34.86

-45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 £0.59

$1.18 MX$19.92

-33.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.20 MX$20.33

-11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.41 £15.10

$4.63 MX$78.3

340.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 £6.85

$10.69 MX$180

-13.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.00

$1.62 MX$27.35

67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.88 MX$48.65

7.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 £2.69

$0.57 MX$9.68

538.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.1

$29.83 MX$504

217.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 £4.14

$5.45 MX$92.0

2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.91

$3.70 MX$62.6

-30.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 £20.37

$5.98 MX$101

360.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.55 MX$26.23

30.97%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

75.06%

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

$42.4K £31.4K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

63.53%

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

$290 £215

$89.1 MX$1,505

225.59%

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

$31.88 £23.58

$25.04 MX$423

27.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 £25.39

$31.50 MX$532

8.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 £28.05

$67.8 MX$1,145

-44.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 £7.84

$5.05 MX$85.3

109.90%

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

$1,265 £935

$225 MX$3,798

462.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K £16.3K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

421.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 £68.1

$47.44 MX$801

94.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.83 £33.90

$44.98 MX$759

1.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 £70.9

$82.0 MX$1,384

16.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 £108

$92.1 MX$1,555

58.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 £717

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 £606

$405 MX$6,844

102.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 £874

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-38.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 £737

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-23.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 £3,930

$3,995 MX$67.5K

32.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,986 £2,949

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-39.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,997 £1,478

$749 MX$12.6K

166.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

11.45

-55.72%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $969 in Kirkwall and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 167% 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: $94.0 in Kirkwall vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $277, with Kirkwall cheaper for home cooking.

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 64% in total monthly costs ($2,123 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 167% higher in Kirkwall, 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: $969 in Kirkwall versus $1,069 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 $47.00 versus $94.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,123 per month in Kirkwall versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,123 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 64% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.