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: $1,225 in Luanda versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,301 in Luanda versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,377 in Luanda versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luanda 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 AOA 5,425

$11.99 MX$209

-50.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.08 AOA 43.9K

$41.78 MX$728

15.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 AOA 6,979

$10.75 MX$187

-28.84%

Cappuccino

$3.54 AOA 3,229

$3.50 MX$60.9

1.14%

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

$1.65 AOA 1,508

$1.45 MX$25.22

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 AOA 971

$0.88 MX$15.41

20.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.52 AOA 1,391

$2.95 MX$51.3

-48.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 AOA 1,632

$4.51 MX$78.6

-60.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 AOA 1,742

$1.43 MX$24.94

33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 AOA 1,104

$1.84 MX$31.99

-34.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 AOA 1,266

$1.57 MX$27.31

-11.46%

Eggs

$2.22 AOA 2,025

$2.51 MX$43.74

-11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 AOA 11.5K

$8.28 MX$144

51.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 AOA 5,560

$8.43 MX$147

-27.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 AOA 9,253

$10.68 MX$186

-5.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 AOA 2,374

$2.61 MX$45.43

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 AOA 968

$1.44 MX$25.04

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 AOA 2,849

$1.96 MX$34.16

59.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 AOA 1,870

$2.09 MX$36.47

-1.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 AOA 1,605

$1.85 MX$32.24

-4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 AOA 1,392

$2.17 MX$37.74

-29.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 AOA 1,827

$1.03 MX$17.96

94.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 AOA 391

$1.07 MX$18.70

-59.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 AOA 2,141

$4.10 MX$71.4

-42.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 AOA 5,348

$10.17 MX$177

-42.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 AOA 545

$1.68 MX$29.17

-64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 AOA 1,189

$2.53 MX$43.98

-48.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 AOA 335

$0.51 MX$8.87

-27.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.07 AOA 30.2K

$26.04 MX$453

27.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 AOA 1,111

$3.23 MX$56.3

-62.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 AOA 794

$2.41 MX$41.88

-63.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 AOA 5,575

$3.23 MX$56.2

89.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 AOA 349

$1.32 MX$23.00

-71.21%

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

$20.0K AOA 18.2M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-32.71%

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

$28.4K AOA 25.9M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

20.13%

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

$97.7 AOA 89.1K

$82.0 MX$1,428

19.07%

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

$20.52 AOA 18.7K

$22.95 MX$400

-10.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$133 AOA 121.1K

$30.11 MX$524

340.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.50 AOA 39.7K

$52.0 MX$905

-16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.35 AOA 13.1K

$18.53 MX$323

-22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 AOA 4,086

$4.98 MX$86.6

-10.04%

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

$689 AOA 628.9K

$197 MX$3,438

249.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K AOA 13.5M

$5,336 MX$92.9K

177.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 AOA 90.7K

$35.60 MX$620

179.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.5 AOA 71.7K

$40.33 MX$702

94.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 AOA 119.5K

$78.8 MX$1,371

66.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$250 AOA 227.8K

$88.9 MX$1,549

180.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 AOA 484.7K

$947 MX$16.5K

-43.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 AOA 262.8K

$474 MX$8,254

-39.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,345 AOA 2.1M

$1,644 MX$28.6K

42.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,357 AOA 1.2M

$1,211 MX$21.1K

12.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K AOA 11.0M

$4,056 MX$70.6K

197.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$860 AOA 784.8K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-86.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 AOA 1.3M

$654 MX$11.4K

110.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

110.16%

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

Last update for Luanda: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Luanda and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Luanda vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $249, with Luanda cheaper for home cooking.

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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,225 vs $1,256 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 111% 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: $531 in Luanda versus $947 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 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $689 in Luanda versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Luanda versus $1,256 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 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.