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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $487 in Isiolo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $813 in Isiolo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,140 in Isiolo.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 164% more expensive than Isiolo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Isiolo 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.54 KES 715

115.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$30.53 KES 3,940

40.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.89 KES 503

172.24%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.39 KES 309

51.46%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.28 KES 36.23

425.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.22 KES 28.28

327.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.38 KES 307

29.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.98 KES 384

49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.88 KES 114

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.42 KES 53.8

347.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.59 KES 205

2.52%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.42 KES 183

85.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.77 KES 1,520

-30.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.80 KES 877

21.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.45 KES 703

103.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.19 KES 411

-16.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.08 KES 139

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.10 KES 271

-5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.02 KES 131

103.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.08 KES 139

65.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.13 KES 145

92.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.69 KES 88.4

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.80 KES 104

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.12 KES 403

27.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.54 KES 1,489

-11.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.18 KES 282

-20.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.72 KES 351

-8.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.54 KES 199

103.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.53 KES 197

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.81 KES 363

9.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.40 KES 180

-9.29%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

40.19%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

15.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$34.61 KES 4,467

136.95%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.03 KES 2,199

31.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$38.85 KES 5,014

-23.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.17 KES 797

-19.45%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$201 KES 26.0K

-1.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,040 KES 1.0M

-34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$18.30 KES 2,363

98.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$23.64 KES 3,051

69.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$65.1 KES 8,405

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$56.6 KES 7,300

57.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$782 KES 100.9K

-7.86%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Isiolo pays 9% 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 $31.00 in Isiolo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $204 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 164% 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 9% 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 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $487 in Isiolo – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $487 in Isiolo versus $1,287 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 $487 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 164% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.