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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,419 in Kingston upon Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,903 in Kingston upon Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,388 in Kingston upon Thames.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 62% less than in Kingston upon Thames, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Kingston upon Thames is 148% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$21.97 £16.24

-45.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$86.3 £63.8

-45.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$10.75 £7.95

9.30%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$5.47 £4.04

-24.68%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$2.98 £2.21

-53.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.78 £1.32

-48.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$9.22 £6.82

-65.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$8.54 £6.31

-17.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.66 £1.23

1.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.75 £1.29

22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.41 £1.78

-26.56%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$5.26 £3.89

-46.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.76 £6.48

5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$8.81 £6.51

4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$13.15 £9.72

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.29 £2.43

-10.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.42 £1.05

11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$2.63 £1.94

-15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$2.96 £2.19

-20.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$1.71 £1.27

16.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.76 £1.30

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.21 £0.90

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.87 £1.38

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$23.67 £17.50

-80.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$9.73 £7.20

8.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$3.10 £2.29

-45.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$4.60 £3.40

-39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$2.32 £1.72

-74.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$44.19 £32.67

-32.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$4.86 £3.60

7.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.53 £1.13

138.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$24.85 £18.37

-76.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.97 £1.45

-21.83%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$39.0K £28.9K

-41.58%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$40.9K £30.2K

-36.88%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$361 £267

-74.91%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$16.14 £11.93

56.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$41.85 £30.94

-24.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$107 £79.3

-35.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$11.01 £8.14

166.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$20.36 £15.06

-76.13%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$2,726 £2,015

-91.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$22.8K £16.8K

-81.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$115 £84.7

-58.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$53.4 £39.50

-18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$80.8 £59.8

-0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$107 £79.4

-14.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$2,054 £1,519

-47.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$1,909 £1,412

-78.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$3,666 £2,710

-46.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$3,255 £2,406

-60.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$5,507 £4,072

-85.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.67

145.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $2,054 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 612% 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 $86.0 in Kingston upon Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $305 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 upon Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kingston upon Thames differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $3,419 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 612% lower in Kingston upon Thames. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,054 in Kingston upon Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 49% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,726 in Kingston upon Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,419 in Kingston upon Thames, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kingston upon Thames are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.