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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,451 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,475 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,498 in Kingston.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 11% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Kingston is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.61 JMD 1,192

54.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$62.0 JMD 9,707

-32.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.80 JMD 1,379

20.91%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$4.36 JMD 682

-19.27%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.32 JMD 207

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.74 JMD 117

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.57 JMD 403

14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.20 JMD 501

39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$4.36 JMD 684

-68.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$3.66 JMD 573

-48.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.57 JMD 246

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.47 JMD 543

-27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.19 JMD 1,754

-25.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.42 JMD 1,007

29.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.82 JMD 1,225

37.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$5.96 JMD 933

-56.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$3.13 JMD 491

-53.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$4.30 JMD 673

-55.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.96 JMD 464

-29.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.03 JMD 317

-12.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.01 JMD 315

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$3.12 JMD 489

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.45 JMD 227

-25.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$8.89 JMD 1,393

-54.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$11.29 JMD 1,769

-8.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.90 JMD 454

-41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.20 JMD 502

-19.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.89 JMD 140

-42.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$48.53 JMD 7,604

-45.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.12 JMD 176

191.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.15 JMD 494

-20.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.19 JMD 971

-47.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.28 JMD 201

2.34%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$43.2K JMD 6.8M

-29.89%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-30.62%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$163 JMD 25.5K

-49.10%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$22.49 JMD 3,523

-1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$50.7 JMD 7,942

-42.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$69.4 JMD 10.9K

-25.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.50 JMD 2,428

18.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$12.92 JMD 2,024

-60.76%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$222 JMD 34.8K

-9.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$2,451 JMD 384.0K

112.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$25.73 JMD 4,032

43.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$25.24 JMD 3,955

57.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$72.4 JMD 11.3K

8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$75.6 JMD 11.8K

15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$880 JMD 137.9K

10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$451 JMD 70.7K

3.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$2,021 JMD 316.7K

-18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,204 JMD 188.7K

1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,863 JMD 448.5K

37.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$2,192 JMD 343.5K

196.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$732 JMD 114.7K

-9.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.15

24.81%

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 Kingston: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 10% 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 $62.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $353 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kingston earns 10% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $222 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,451 in Kingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.