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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $489 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $759 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,030 in Kiambu.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kiambu 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.12 KES 403

284.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$19.07 KES 2,464

119.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.74 KES 613

126.79%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.91 KES 246

83.25%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.50 KES 64.3

190.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.36 KES 47.14

144.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.73 KES 224

70.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.34 KES 302

92.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.64 KES 82.5

123.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.54 KES 69.2

240.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.66 KES 214

-5.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.29 KES 167

94.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.83 KES 1,529

-30.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.76 KES 874

24.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$4.17 KES 539

156.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.06 KES 395

-14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.07 KES 139

34.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.81 KES 104

141.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.59 KES 76.8

254.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.59 KES 75.7

213.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.76 KES 98.1

185.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.32 KES 41.55

221.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.37 KES 48.13

189.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.01 KES 390

36.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$11.50 KES 1,486

-11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.30 KES 298

-26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.84 KES 367

-10.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.56 KES 72.1

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.53 KES 197

111.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.41 KES 52.6

487.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.84 KES 367

13.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.52 KES 196

-13.16%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.7K KES 2.8M

36.81%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

18.88%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$28.46 KES 3,678

188.16%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.90 KES 1,021

190.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$28.86 KES 3,730

4.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$11.68 KES 1,509

344.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.93 KES 767

-16.02%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$201 KES 26.0K

-1.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,976 KES 1.0M

-33.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$6.26 KES 809

468.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$23.57 KES 3,045

71.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$26.87 KES 3,473

193.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$30.47 KES 3,937

191.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$117 KES 15.1K

711.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$92.6 KES 12.0K

411.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$191 KES 24.7K

759.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$149 KES 19.3K

711.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,159 KES 149.8K

249.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$123 KES 15.9K

431.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.82%

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 Kiambu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $117 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 431% 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 $19.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $183 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 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 431% 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 $117 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $201 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 $19.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $489 in Kiambu versus $1,256 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 157% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.