Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kisii

For one person, living is cheaper in Kisii: $304 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kisii, Kenya
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Kisii
🇰🇪 Kenya
$304
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kisii

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kisii actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $304 in Kisii.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Kisii $304

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $444 in Kisii.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Kisii $444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $585 in Kisii.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Kisii $585

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 296% more expensive than in Kisii, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Kisii 78% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$2.75 KES 358
288.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$819
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$220
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.8
$1.37 KES 178
176.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.26
$0.87 KES 113
49.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.59
$0.22 KES 28.46
277.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.9
$1.83 KES 237
72.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.3
$2.25 KES 293
119.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$0.94 KES 122
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.07
$0.48 KES 62.0
358.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.54
$2.26 KES 294
-34.96%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.70
$1.81 KES 236
38.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$241
$4.67 KES 606
175.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.2
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.87
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.59
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.97
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.88
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.60
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.41
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.17
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.9
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.66
$1.97 KES 256
-19.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.3
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.63
$0.37 KES 47.40
37.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$512
$15.58 KES 2,023
75.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.1
$0.76 KES 98.6
526.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.8
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.58
$1.47 KES 190
4.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$396.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$435.1K
$11.7K KES 1.5M
99.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,562
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$434
$16.21 KES 2,105
43.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$516
$47.51 KES 6,170
-41.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,056
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$527
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.5
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,873
$37.99 KES 4,933
445.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$813
$11.44 KES 1,486
279.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$796
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,361
$38.57 KES 5,008
88.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,653
$30.24 KES 3,927
192.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,152
$75.5 KES 9,802
406.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.2K
$155 KES 20.1K
597.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kisii
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kisii: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Kisii
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Kisii
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Kisii
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Kisii
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Kisii
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Kisii
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Kisii
–
Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇰🇪 Kisii
🕒 Local time
09:01 9:01 AM
17:01 5:01 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
200,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Kisii 13,330 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Kisii

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kisii: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Kisii?
Kisii wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kisii the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Kisii?
You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Kisii to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Kisii?
Supermarket bills run roughly 374% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Kisii?
All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $304 in Kisii – Kisii is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Playa del Carmen or in Kisii?
At $304 in Kisii versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Kisii but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kisii the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Kisii?
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.

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