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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Luanda versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Luanda versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luanda 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 AOA 5,073

$11.96 MX$203

-53.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

$47.38 MX$803

-22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 AOA 5,909

$11.75 MX$199

-44.94%

Cappuccino

$2.53 AOA 2,312

$4.12 MX$69.9

-38.59%

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

$1.34 AOA 1,227

$1.40 MX$23.71

-4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 AOA 1,056

$0.91 MX$15.46

27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 AOA 1,513

$3.21 MX$54.3

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 AOA 1,519

$7.07 MX$120

-76.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 AOA 1,819

$1.68 MX$28.40

18.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 AOA 869

$2.15 MX$36.43

-55.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 AOA 1,466

$1.77 MX$30.06

-9.04%

Eggs

$1.88 AOA 1,714

$2.82 MX$47.69

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 AOA 8,450

$9.20 MX$156

0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 AOA 3,138

$9.23 MX$156

-62.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 AOA 6,861

$12.64 MX$214

-40.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AOA 2,058

$2.95 MX$49.99

-23.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 AOA 926

$1.58 MX$26.75

-36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 AOA 2,536

$2.22 MX$37.65

25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 AOA 1,683

$2.36 MX$40.03

-22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 AOA 1,412

$1.99 MX$33.76

-22.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 AOA 1,441

$1.98 MX$33.53

-20.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 AOA 1,604

$1.24 MX$21.01

41.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 AOA 315

$1.21 MX$20.52

-71.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 AOA 1,481

$4.60 MX$78.0

-64.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 AOA 5,378

$10.52 MX$178

-44.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 AOA 412

$1.69 MX$28.66

-73.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 AOA 838

$2.77 MX$47.00

-66.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 AOA 310

$0.60 MX$10.21

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

$29.70 MX$503

11.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 AOA 1,027

$5.24 MX$88.7

-78.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 AOA 830

$3.65 MX$61.8

-75.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 AOA 5,020

$5.78 MX$98.0

-4.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 AOA 292

$1.54 MX$26.06

-79.22%

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

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

$22.8K MX$386.3K

-37.89%

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

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

$25.8K MX$437.3K

-11.94%

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

$101 AOA 92.0K

$90.7 MX$1,536

11.22%

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

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

$25.19 MX$427

-29.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

$31.75 MX$538

150.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

$68.8 MX$1,165

-33.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

$29.37 MX$498

-46.95%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 AOA 3,259

$4.86 MX$82.4

-26.54%

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

$759 AOA 692.4K

$226 MX$3,823

236.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

$4,194 MX$71.0K

218.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 AOA 99.4K

$47.38 MX$803

129.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

$43.45 MX$736

46.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

$80.2 MX$1,359

23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 AOA 183.3K

$91.4 MX$1,548

119.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 AOA 356.0K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-64.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 AOA 179.1K

$409 MX$6,923

-51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

$1,972 MX$33.4K

10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 AOA 948.3K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-18.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

$4,046 MX$68.5K

195.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 AOA 815.7K

$6,704 MX$113.6K

-86.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

$773 MX$13.1K

82.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

83.41%

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

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Luanda and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Luanda vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $278 per month, with Luanda 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

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

Luanda and Playa del Carmen differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,010 vs $1,305 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Luanda, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $390 in Luanda versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $759 in Luanda versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda 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 Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.