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: $2,311 in Kirkwall versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Kirkwall versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,441 in Kirkwall versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Kirkwall is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.31 £18.92

$11.95 MX$208

111.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 £60.0

$41.94 MX$730

91.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 £7.41

$10.42 MX$181

-4.89%

Cappuccino

$4.03 £3.01

$3.51 MX$61.2

14.81%

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

$2.30 £1.72

$1.52 MX$26.39

51.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.21

$0.91 MX$15.84

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 £4.21

$3.04 MX$52.9

85.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 £4.76

$4.37 MX$76.1

45.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.42 MX$24.73

12.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.23

$1.83 MX$31.87

-10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.71

$1.63 MX$28.45

39.88%

Eggs

$3.99 £2.98

$2.54 MX$44.20

57.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 £7.18

$8.57 MX$149

12.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 £6.76

$8.49 MX$148

6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.58

$10.80 MX$188

31.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.34

$2.75 MX$47.94

13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.44 MX$25.00

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.89 MX$32.83

47.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.68

$2.17 MX$37.77

64.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.78 MX$30.97

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.22 MX$38.71

-32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 £0.83

$1.07 MX$18.60

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.08 MX$18.79

40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.13 £14.30

$4.15 MX$72.2

360.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.45

$10.45 MX$182

8.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.12

$1.74 MX$30.34

62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.32

$2.58 MX$44.92

20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 £2.51

$0.51 MX$8.94

558.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 £66.8

$25.94 MX$451

244.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 £3.95

$3.21 MX$55.9

64.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.50 MX$43.55

-35.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.94 £17.15

$3.19 MX$55.4

619.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.26 MX$21.87

53.97%

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

$38.6K £28.8K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

29.86%

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

$40.4K £30.2K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

70.69%

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

$292 £218

$82.0 MX$1,427

255.80%

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

$16.90 £12.63

$22.73 MX$395

-25.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.81 £32.00

$29.42 MX$512

45.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.72 £19.23

$52.2 MX$908

-50.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 £10.13

$4.93 MX$85.9

174.85%

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

$1,598 £1,195

$202 MX$3,511

691.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.9K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

257.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 £61.7

$35.93 MX$625

129.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.68 £32.66

$40.33 MX$702

8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.8

$79.9 MX$1,390

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 £73.9

$89.3 MX$1,554

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £921

$948 MX$16.5K

29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 £758

$465 MX$8,097

117.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,551

$1,630 MX$28.4K

27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 £1,281

$1,193 MX$20.8K

43.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,027 £3,758

$3,933 MX$68.4K

27.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,940 £1,450

$658 MX$11.5K

194.65%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,232 in Kirkwall and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 195% 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: $80.0 in Kirkwall vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $252 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 ($2,311 vs $1,259 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 195% 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: $1,232 in Kirkwall versus $948 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 $80.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,311 per month in Kirkwall versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,311 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.