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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $750 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,014 in Kiambu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 167% more expensive than Kiambu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kiambu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.16 KES 410

271.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$19.55 KES 2,533

112.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.55 KES 589

133.85%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.91 KES 247

84.29%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.54 KES 70.2

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.34 KES 43.48

185.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.76 KES 228

67.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.26 KES 293

96.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.68 KES 88.3

102.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.53 KES 68.1

256.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.66 KES 216

-1.20%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.36 KES 176

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.74 KES 1,522

-28.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.55 KES 848

27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$4.15 KES 537

158.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.04 KES 394

-14.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.09 KES 141

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.78 KES 102

143.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.56 KES 72.7

271.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.55 KES 70.7

223.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.76 KES 98.5

188.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.32 KES 41.56

225.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.40 KES 52.0

170.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.01 KES 390

35.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.43 KES 1,481

-9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.19 KES 284

-21.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.79 KES 362

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.56 KES 72.1

-8.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.59 KES 207

105.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.37 KES 48.56

572.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.85 KES 369

14.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.53 KES 198

-14.38%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

38.27%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$19.7K KES 2.6M

18.75%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$28.59 KES 3,704

189.86%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$7.60 KES 984

192.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$29.32 KES 3,799

0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$11.59 KES 1,502

345.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.64 KES 731

-10.11%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$204 KES 26.5K

-1.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$8,097 KES 1.0M

-35.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$6.24 KES 808

491.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$23.84 KES 3,088

66.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$27.40 KES 3,550

186.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$30.38 KES 3,936

186.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$115 KES 14.9K

744.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$92.7 KES 12.0K

404.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$191 KES 24.8K

758.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$146 KES 18.9K

735.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,137 KES 147.2K

247.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$122 KES 15.8K

443.22%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $115 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 443% 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 $20.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $181 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 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 443% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $115 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $204 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 $20.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $486 in Kiambu versus $1,297 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 167% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.