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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $527 in Isiolo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $876 in Isiolo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,226 in Isiolo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 152% more expensive than in Isiolo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Isiolo 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$5.55 KES 718

134.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$34.56 KES 4,472

33.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.30 KES 816

99.84%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.80 KES 363

42.86%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.63 KES 81.8

125.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.53 KES 67.9

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.29 KES 296

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.68 KES 347

154.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$0.85 KES 110

101.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.56 KES 73.0

296.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.84 KES 239

-6.52%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.65 KES 213

64.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$10.66 KES 1,380

-12.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$6.62 KES 857

33.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$6.33 KES 819

101.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.16 KES 409

-0.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.99 KES 128

56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.97 KES 255

9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.02 KES 131

130.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.00 KES 130

102.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.95 KES 123

109.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.66 KES 84.9

87.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.72 KES 93.3

65.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.43 KES 444

35.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$11.57 KES 1,498

-9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.29 KES 297

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.81 KES 364

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.53 KES 198

247.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.58 KES 204

135.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$2.88 KES 373

100.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.39 KES 180

11.51%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$18.7K KES 2.4M

19.80%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$19.3K KES 2.5M

32.22%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$55.7 KES 7,213

60.17%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$15.51 KES 2,007

50.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$34.29 KES 4,437

-7.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.87 KES 1,018

-35.71%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$240 KES 31.1K

-7.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$11.0K KES 1.4M

-60.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$26.64 KES 3,447

73.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$25.38 KES 3,285

75.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$63.1 KES 8,167

51.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$59.8 KES 7,736

54.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$760 KES 98.3K

-1.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

14.71

-21.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Isiolo pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Isiolo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $203 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 152% 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, salaries run 2% lower in Isiolo. 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 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $527 in Isiolo – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $527 in Isiolo versus $1,330 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 $527 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 152% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.