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: $2,295 in Kirkwall versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in Kirkwall versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Kirkwall versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kirkwall is roughly 77% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kirkwall is 71% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 £18.52

$11.73 MX$205

110.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £61.0

$41.62 MX$727

95.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 £7.41

$10.64 MX$186

-7.05%

Cappuccino

$3.98 £2.98

$3.52 MX$61.4

13.07%

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

$2.33 £1.75

$1.51 MX$26.37

54.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.25

$0.97 MX$17.00

72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 £4.09

$2.95 MX$51.5

84.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 £4.81

$4.45 MX$77.8

44.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.19

$1.38 MX$24.16

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.89 MX$33.03

-13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.66

$1.64 MX$28.59

34.76%

Eggs

$4.01 £3.00

$2.51 MX$43.76

59.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 £7.28

$8.34 MX$146

16.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 £6.48

$8.34 MX$146

3.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 £10.59

$10.73 MX$187

31.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.27

$2.60 MX$45.47

16.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.46 MX$25.45

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.10

$1.90 MX$33.19

47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 £2.61

$2.08 MX$36.26

67.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.78 MX$31.01

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.15

$2.19 MX$38.16

-30.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.83

$1.04 MX$18.16

6.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.08 MX$18.80

40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.95 £14.21

$4.08 MX$71.3

364.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.05 £8.29

$10.32 MX$180

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.02

$1.71 MX$29.90

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.33

$2.58 MX$44.97

20.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 £2.47

$0.51 MX$8.90

545.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 £66.6

$26.46 MX$462

235.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.16

$3.26 MX$57.0

70.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.20

$2.49 MX$43.50

-35.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.74 £17.05

$3.25 MX$56.7

599.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.46

$1.31 MX$22.83

48.09%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

26.57%

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

$41.3K £30.9K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

76.07%

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

$297 £223

$82.9 MX$1,447

258.89%

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

$16.85 £12.63

$22.22 MX$388

-24.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.20 £32.39

$29.34 MX$512

47.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.11 £19.58

$51.6 MX$902

-49.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 £10.31

$5.07 MX$88.5

171.20%

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

$1,565 £1,173

$201 MX$3,507

679.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K £13.8K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

252.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.7 £62.8

$36.92 MX$645

126.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 £32.18

$39.79 MX$695

7.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 £69.4

$78.5 MX$1,370

17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £74.7

$87.1 MX$1,521

14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 £903

$973 MX$17.0K

23.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 £752

$468 MX$8,168

114.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 £1,520

$1,641 MX$28.7K

23.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 £1,294

$1,221 MX$21.3K

41.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,112 £3,833

$3,946 MX$68.9K

29.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,928 £1,445

$664 MX$11.6K

190.35%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in Kirkwall and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 190% 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: $81.0 in Kirkwall vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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

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

Kirkwall and Playa del Carmen differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,295 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kirkwall pays 190% 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 $973 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 $42.00 versus $81.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,295 per month in Kirkwall versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,295 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 77% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.