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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $495 in Isiolo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $814 in Isiolo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,134 in Isiolo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 157% more expensive than Isiolo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Isiolo 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.57 KES 722

113.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$29.83 KES 3,867

43.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.88 KES 503

174.48%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.44 KES 316

41.39%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.26 KES 33.49

476.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.24 KES 31.28

295.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.26 KES 293

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.86 KES 371

61.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.82 KES 107

68.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.41 KES 53.2

351.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.59 KES 206

1.26%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.43 KES 185

81.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.48 KES 1,489

-28.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.80 KES 881

23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.54 KES 718

92.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.14 KES 407

-16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.07 KES 139

39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.13 KES 277

-9.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.02 KES 132

104.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.03 KES 133

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.17 KES 152

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.69 KES 89.9

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.75 KES 97.6

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.06 KES 397

35.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.39 KES 1,477

-8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.21 KES 287

-22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.83 KES 366

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.52 KES 197

105.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.58 KES 205

58.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.86 KES 371

10.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.45 KES 188

-12.41%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.6K KES 2.8M

40.55%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

16.08%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.71 KES 4,500

139.12%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.86 KES 2,186

34.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$38.74 KES 5,023

-23.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.03 KES 781

-18.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$202 KES 26.2K

-2.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,080 KES 1.0M

-34.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$18.30 KES 2,372

101.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.77 KES 3,082

67.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$65.5 KES 8,491

22.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$57.5 KES 7,458

55.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$776 KES 100.6K

-14.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.84

-23.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Isiolo pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Isiolo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $202 per month, with Isiolo 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

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

Isiolo wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isiolo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Isiolo earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $495 in Isiolo – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $495 in Isiolo versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isiolo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Isiolo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isiolo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $495 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isiolo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Isiolo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.