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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Kivioli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,660 in Kivioli versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,243 in Kivioli versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kivioli costs roughly 17% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kivioli 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 €14.77

$11.73 MX$203

46.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.8 €59.2

$41.62 MX$720

65.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 €8.21

$10.64 MX$184

-10.34%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.11

$3.52 MX$60.9

2.84%

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

$2.47 €2.12

$1.51 MX$26.12

63.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 €2.45

$0.97 MX$16.84

192.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.43

$2.95 MX$51.0

74.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.03

$4.45 MX$77.0

31.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.38 MX$23.93

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.89 MX$32.72

-19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$1.64 MX$28.32

45.73%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.47

$2.51 MX$43.34

14.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.24 €10.53

$8.34 MX$144

46.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 €7.42

$8.34 MX$144

3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.46 €9.86

$10.73 MX$186

6.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.60 MX$45.04

-24.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.46 MX$25.20

11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.90 MX$32.87

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.08 MX$35.91

17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.78 MX$30.71

-44.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.94

$2.19 MX$37.80

-49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.04 MX$17.99

90.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$1.08 MX$18.62

-3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 €5.41

$4.08 MX$70.6

54.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 €9.14

$10.32 MX$178

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.71 MX$29.61

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.58 MX$44.54

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 €2.97

$3.26 MX$56.4

5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.65

$2.49 MX$43.09

-69.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.03 €17.23

$3.25 MX$56.2

516.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.31 MX$22.61

42.75%

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

$28.8K €24.8K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-4.86%

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

$30.4K €26.2K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

29.78%

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

$270 €232

$82.9 MX$1,433

225.85%

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

$22.40 €19.27

$22.22 MX$384

0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.44 €31.35

$29.34 MX$507

24.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 €10.01

$5.07 MX$87.6

129.59%

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

$118 €102

$201 MX$3,473

-41.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,115 €6,980

$5,212 MX$90.1K

55.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$121 €104

$36.92 MX$639

228.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.26 €33.77

$39.79 MX$688

-1.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.5

$78.5 MX$1,357

28.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$87.1 MX$1,506

22.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

11.42

-62.35%

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

Last update for Kivioli: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $69.0 in Kivioli vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 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

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

Kivioli and Playa del Carmen differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,076 vs $1,297 including rent). Kivioli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,615 in Kivioli and $1,945 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.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,076 per month in Kivioli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,076 in Kivioli versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kivioli but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kivioli 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.

Expats usually find Kivioli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.