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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,482 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,489 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,496 in Kingston.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 15% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Kingston is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$7.46 JMD 1,176

60.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$61.7 JMD 9,720

-32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$8.58 JMD 1,352

25.29%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$4.39 JMD 692

-20.27%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$1.33 JMD 209

9.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.74 JMD 117

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$2.43 JMD 383

21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$3.10 JMD 489

45.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$4.33 JMD 682

-66.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$3.49 JMD 551

-47.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.64 JMD 258

-4.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$3.61 JMD 568

-30.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$11.20 JMD 1,765

-26.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.45 JMD 1,016

30.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.82 JMD 1,232

36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$5.99 JMD 945

-56.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$2.98 JMD 470

-51.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$4.21 JMD 663

-53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$2.90 JMD 457

-27.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$2.02 JMD 319

-8.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$2.00 JMD 315

8.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$3.01 JMD 475

-65.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$1.51 JMD 238

-29.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$8.61 JMD 1,357

-52.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$11.47 JMD 1,808

-11.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$2.78 JMD 438

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$3.04 JMD 480

-16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.81 JMD 128

-37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$49.18 JMD 7,751

-47.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.09 JMD 171

196.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$3.22 JMD 507

-25.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$6.34 JMD 999

-49.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.24 JMD 196

6.45%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-31.65%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

-30.60%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$161 JMD 25.3K

-49.00%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$22.24 JMD 3,504

3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$52.0 JMD 8,191

-42.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$68.9 JMD 10.9K

-24.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$15.91 JMD 2,508

16.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$13.38 JMD 2,109

-62.78%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$222 JMD 35.0K

-11.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$2,532 JMD 399.1K

110.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$25.81 JMD 4,068

37.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$25.49 JMD 4,017

58.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$70.8 JMD 11.2K

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$880 JMD 138.6K

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$451 JMD 71.2K

4.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$2,007 JMD 316.2K

-18.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,188 JMD 187.2K

1.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$2,866 JMD 451.6K

41.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$2,153 JMD 339.4K

200.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$732 JMD 115.4K

-10.69%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kingston: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $880 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 12% 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 $351 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 18% 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, salaries run 12% lower in Kingston. 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: $947 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 $197 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 41% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,482 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 $1,256 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 18% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.