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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 23% less than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Kingston is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$15.95 JMD 2,513

-26.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$792

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-37.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$8.81 JMD 1,388

32.24%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.6

$5.22 JMD 823

-21.65%

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

$1.37 MX$23.35

$1.19 JMD 188

15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.17

$0.69 JMD 109

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$57.0

$2.19 JMD 345

52.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.08 JMD 486

124.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.35

$4.06 JMD 639

-57.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.41

$3.74 JMD 589

-39.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.07

$1.66 JMD 261

6.63%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.43

$3.61 JMD 570

-24.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

$11.58 JMD 1,826

-20.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$152

$6.19 JMD 975

44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

$10.12 JMD 1,595

24.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$6.12 JMD 964

-50.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.69

$3.99 JMD 629

-60.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.12

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-71.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.48

$3.11 JMD 491

-27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.05

$3.23 JMD 510

-38.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.08

$2.64 JMD 416

-21.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.05

$3.01 JMD 474

-60.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.46

$1.46 JMD 231

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.8

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-52.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

$11.32 JMD 1,785

-5.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.52

$2.78 JMD 439

-41.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.96

$3.96 JMD 625

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.81 JMD 128

-29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

$38.60 JMD 6,082

-22.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.6

$1.23 JMD 193

343.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$63.0

$3.14 JMD 496

17.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$6.15 JMD 970

-2.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.40

$1.36 JMD 215

13.97%

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

$22.3K MX$379.4K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-48.89%

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

$25.9K MX$441.0K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

-19.91%

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

$89.1 MX$1,515

$172 JMD 27.1K

-48.14%

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

$25.04 MX$426

$29.66 JMD 4,675

-15.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-40.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,152

$62.6 JMD 9,862

8.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

$17.94 JMD 2,827

61.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-62.17%

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

$225 MX$3,823

$367 JMD 57.8K

-38.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.8K

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

-49.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

$23.88 JMD 3,764

98.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

$31.86 JMD 5,020

41.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,393

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,565

$102 JMD 16.1K

-9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$972 JMD 153.2K

10.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,888

$563 JMD 88.7K

-28.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

-8.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

-9.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

37.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.6K

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

222.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$757 JMD 119.3K

-1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 1% 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 $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $384 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 30% 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 1% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $367 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,684 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 $1,293 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 30% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.