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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,062 in Kivioli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,674 in Kivioli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,286 in Kivioli.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than in Kivioli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kivioli 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$17.35 €15.19

-30.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$70.2 €61.5

-40.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$9.95 €8.72

8.04%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.66 €3.20

-4.37%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$2.59 €2.27

-44.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$2.82 €2.47

-68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$5.28 €4.63

-44.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$5.90 €5.16

-23.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.25 €1.10

14.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.53 €1.34

20.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.31 €2.02

-32.03%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.98 €2.61

-15.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.22 €10.70

-32.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.74 €7.66

-3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.13 €9.75

-4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.93 €1.69

35.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.60 €1.40

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.47 €2.16

-20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.49 €2.18

-16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.03 €0.90

79.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.11 €0.97

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$2.06 €1.81

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.05 €0.92

1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.36 €5.57

-35.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.62 €9.30

-4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.02 €1.77

-16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.11 €1.85

19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.41 €2.99

-5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.70 €0.61

244.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.00 €17.52

-83.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.87 €1.63

-29.41%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$28.5K €24.9K

4.35%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.2K €27.4K

-24.24%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$273 €239

-69.95%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$22.47 €19.68

2.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$36.45 €31.92

-17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$11.77 €10.31

-57.69%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$116 €101

70.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$8,172 €7,157

-34.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$119 €104

-70.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$39.95 €34.99

0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$97.3 €85.2

-19.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$109 €95.3

-18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.3

165.58%

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 Kivioli: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $70.0 in Kivioli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $266 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 Kivioli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kivioli differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,062 including rent). Kivioli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,593 in Kivioli 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.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,062 in Kivioli – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,062 in Kivioli versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kivioli but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kivioli 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.

Expats usually find Kivioli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.