Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kempton Park Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kempton Park

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,006 in Kempton Park.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,566 in Kempton Park.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,126 in Kempton Park.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Kempton Park, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kempton Park 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.44 R 139

42.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$33.39 R 551

25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.78 R 79.0

124.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.23 R 36.88

56.95%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.00 R 16.48

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.77 R 12.72

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.30 R 37.89

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.45 R 40.50

84.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.21 R 19.93

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.01 R 16.68

82.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.71 R 28.21

-8.19%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.39 R 39.38

5.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.91 R 130

4.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.67 R 77.1

80.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$6.89 R 114

55.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.63 R 26.88

60.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.61 R 26.62

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.61 R 26.60

21.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.64 R 27.05

27.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.45 R 24.01

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.43 R 23.68

51.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.09 R 17.94

-5.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.16 R 19.07

-7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.03 R 49.97

35.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.36 R 88.5

89.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.58 R 26.01

6.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.86 R 30.67

36.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.38 R 22.73

-63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$55.5 R 916

-53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.15 R 18.94

180.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.95 R 15.72

153.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.09 R 67.5

-21.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.28 R 21.10

3.13%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$22.2K R 367.2K

33.47%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$23.7K R 391.3K

-0.20%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$126 R 2,077

-34.83%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$40.93 R 676

-43.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$42.73 R 705

-29.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$25.89 R 427

100.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$5.56 R 91.7

233.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.50 R 124

-33.60%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$210 R 3,472

-6.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,418 R 72.9K

20.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$51.0 R 842

-30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$32.83 R 542

22.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$88.7 R 1,463

-11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$79.9 R 1,319

11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$280 R 4,626

237.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$261 R 4,313

81.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$678 R 11.2K

142.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$570 R 9,407

112.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$717 R 11.8K

465.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$777 R 12.8K

732.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$636 R 10.5K

2.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Kempton Park. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Kempton Park for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $187 per month, with Kempton Park 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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempton Park wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kempton Park the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Kempton Park. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kempton Park – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,006 in Kempton Park versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kempton Park but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kempton Park the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kempton Park delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,006 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kempton Park hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kempton Park are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kempton Park gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.