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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $474 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $774 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,075 in Kiambu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 176% more expensive than in Kiambu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kiambu 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.97 KES 513

201.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$34.24 KES 4,427

38.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.01 KES 777

95.51%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.71 KES 350

52.03%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.55 KES 71.3

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.52 KES 67.7

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.29 KES 296

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.66 KES 344

165.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.54 KES 69.6

211.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.50 KES 65.3

330.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.89 KES 244

-6.35%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.42 KES 184

98.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.54 KES 1,363

-12.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.30 KES 814

46.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$4.07 KES 526

210.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.25 KES 420

-9.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.01 KES 130

56.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.76 KES 97.8

192.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.60 KES 77.0

293.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.68 KES 88.4

192.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.73 KES 93.9

171.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.30 KES 38.67

313.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.40 KES 52.0

202.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.45 KES 447

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.74 KES 1,518

-10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.29 KES 296

-26.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.74 KES 354

1.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.68 KES 87.6

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.55 KES 201

238.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.37 KES 48.15

886.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$2.97 KES 384

94.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.57 KES 204

-1.91%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

13.42%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

31.81%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$60.0 KES 7,754

51.19%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$7.74 KES 1,001

225.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$35.57 KES 4,599

-10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.87 KES 759

-17.21%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$243 KES 31.4K

-7.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$11.5K KES 1.5M

-63.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$26.69 KES 3,451

77.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$25.86 KES 3,343

68.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$64.0 KES 8,269

25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$61.0 KES 7,882

49.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$117 KES 15.1K

827.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,149 KES 148.6K

252.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$122 KES 15.8K

532.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.71

-22.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $117 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 533% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $177 per month, with Kiambu 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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 176% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 533% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $117 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $243 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $474 in Kiambu versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kiambu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kiambu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiambu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.