Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kisii and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Kisii, Kenya
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kisii
🇰🇪 Kenya
$304
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kisii 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 Kisii and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $304 in Kisii versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kisii $304
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $444 in Kisii versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kisii $444
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $585 in Kisii versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Kisii $585
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Kisii costs roughly 75% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kisii 78% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.75 KES 358
$10.67 MX$200
-74.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$43.80 MX$819
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.79 MX$220
-
Cappuccino
$1.37 KES 178
$3.79 MX$70.8
-63.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 KES 113
$1.30 MX$24.26
-33.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.22 KES 28.46
$0.83 MX$15.59
-73.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.83 KES 237
$3.15 MX$58.9
-41.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 KES 293
$4.93 MX$92.3
-54.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 KES 122
$1.41 MX$26.35
-33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.48 KES 62.0
$2.20 MX$41.07
-78.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.26 KES 294
$1.47 MX$27.54
53.74%
Eggs
$1.81 KES 236
$2.50 MX$46.70
-27.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.29 MX$136
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.95 MX$149
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.67 KES 606
$12.86 MX$241
-63.69%
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.90 MX$54.2
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.38 MX$25.87
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.49 MX$46.59
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.03 MX$37.97
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$2.02 MX$37.88
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.90 MX$35.60
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.14 MX$21.41
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.24 MX$23.17
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.27 MX$79.9
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.81 MX$184
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 KES 256
$1.59 MX$29.66
23.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.75 MX$51.3
-
🚌 Getting Around
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 KES 47.40
$0.51 MX$9.63
-27.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.58 KES 2,023
$27.39 MX$512
-43.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.76 KES 98.6
$4.76 MX$89.1
-84.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.25 MX$60.8
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.39 MX$101
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 KES 190
$1.53 MX$28.58
-3.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.2K MX$396.8K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$11.7K KES 1.5M
$23.3K MX$435.1K
-49.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$83.5 MX$1,562
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.21 KES 2,105
$23.19 MX$434
-30.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.51 KES 6,170
$27.61 MX$516
72.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$56.4 MX$1,056
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$527
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.00 MX$93.5
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$37.99 KES 4,933
$207 MX$3,873
-81.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,231 MX$97.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$11.44 KES 1,486
$43.45 MX$813
-73.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$42.54 MX$796
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$38.57 KES 5,008
$72.8 MX$1,361
-46.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$30.24 KES 3,927
$88.4 MX$1,653
-65.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$995 MX$18.6K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$75.5 KES 9,802
$382 MX$7,152
-80.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,674 MX$31.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$155 KES 20.1K
$1,081 MX$20.2K
-85.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,909 MX$73.1K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,138 MX$114.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kisii
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Kisii: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$382
Groceries & Markets
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$257
Eating Out
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$134
Clothing & Footwear
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$111
Sport & Entertainment
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$66
Getting Around
Kisii
–
Playa del Carmen
$50
Good to know
🇰🇪 Kisii
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
15:54 3:54 PM
07:54 7:54 AM
8 h behind Kisii
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
200,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kisii Playa del Carmen 13,330 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kisii
  • 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
Kisii vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kisii or Playa del Carmen?
Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Kisii and in Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $456 in Kisii and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Are groceries more expensive in Kisii or in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 374% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Kisii compared to Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $304 per month in Kisii versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Kisii is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Kisii or in Playa del Carmen?
At $304 in Kisii versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Kisii but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kisii the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kisii or Playa del Carmen?
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.

Kisii vs other spots: cost of living compared

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