Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Livingstone and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $199 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$199

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Livingstone 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 Livingstone and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $199 per month in Livingstone vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Livingstone $199
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $367 per month in Livingstone vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Livingstone $367
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $535 per month in Livingstone vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Livingstone $535
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Livingstone is about 83% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Livingstone and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Livingstone 85% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ZMW 153

$10.92 MX$205

-30.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.35 ZMW 613

$43.37 MX$813

-30.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 ZMW 176

$11.78 MX$221

-25.98%

Cappuccino

$4.88 ZMW 98.5

$3.81 MX$71.4

28.08%

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

$1.28 MX$24.04

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.80

$0.78 MX$14.68

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.37

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.57

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.57

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.30

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.65

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.83

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.81

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.50

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.11

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

Wine (Bottle)

$19.88 ZMW 402

$9.95 MX$187

99.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 ZMW 50.1

$3.33 MX$62.5

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.07

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

$20.7K MX$387.5K

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

$23.5K MX$440.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,590

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,070

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.4

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

$207 MX$3,873

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$813

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,391

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,673

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

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 Livingstone: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Livingstone

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Livingstone versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $40 vs $255 – making Livingstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

23:52 11:52 PM

7 h behind Livingstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,897

149,923

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 20.2 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.95 USD). 1 EUR = 22.51 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.44 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Livingstone Playa del Carmen 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Livingstone
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $199 in Livingstone, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Livingstone comes out roughly 83% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $298 per month in Livingstone and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Livingstone and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $199 in Livingstone and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Livingstone about 83% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Livingstone, where all-in costs run around $199, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Livingstone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $199 in Livingstone to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.