Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chingola and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $428 in Chingola versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Chingola $428
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $731 in Chingola versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Chingola $731
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,033 in Chingola versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Chingola $1,033
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Chingola costs roughly 64% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chingola 68% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 ZMW 304

$10.86 MX$201

40.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.50 ZMW 507

$44.21 MX$817

-42.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

$1.34 MX$24.79

-61.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

$0.82 MX$15.24

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

$3.06 MX$56.6

-80.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

$4.94 MX$91.2

-75.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

$1.47 MX$27.17

19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

$2.22 MX$40.95

-45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

$1.48 MX$27.32

67.57%

Eggs

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

$2.49 MX$45.99

-26.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 ZMW 102

$7.96 MX$147

-35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

$12.57 MX$232

-63.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

$2.78 MX$51.3

-28.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

$1.43 MX$26.37

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

$2.62 MX$48.37

-23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

$2.14 MX$39.49

-7.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

$2.02 MX$37.38

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

$1.99 MX$36.74

-22.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

$1.20 MX$22.18

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

$4.26 MX$78.7

-63.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

$10.02 MX$185

-50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

$1.54 MX$28.41

-59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

$2.66 MX$49.17

-70.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

$3.43 MX$63.5

-83.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.17 ZMW 202

$5.38 MX$99.4

89.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

$1.45 MX$26.76

-7.59%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$49.29 ZMW 980

$85.4 MX$1,577

-42.26%

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.97 ZMW 198

$62.2 MX$1,149

-83.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.29 ZMW 404

$44.39 MX$820

-54.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.36 ZMW 246

$41.35 MX$764

-70.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

$72.7 MX$1,344

-30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

$89.6 MX$1,656

-15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

146.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$112 ZMW 2,223

$738 MX$13.6K

-84.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Chingola

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 560% 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: $26.00 in Chingola vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $258 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Chingola

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:39 1:39 PM

06:39 6:39 AM

7 h behind Chingola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,073

149,923

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chingola Playa del Carmen 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chingola
Playa del Carmen

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

Chingola vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 560% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $428 in Chingola versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.