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: $1,237 in Luanda versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,318 in Luanda versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,399 in Luanda versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 5% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luanda 8% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 AOA 5,418

$11.73 MX$203

-49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.12 AOA 43.9K

$41.62 MX$720

15.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 AOA 7,061

$10.64 MX$184

-27.35%

Cappuccino

$3.53 AOA 3,222

$3.52 MX$60.9

0.28%

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

$1.61 AOA 1,469

$1.51 MX$26.12

6.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 AOA 960

$0.97 MX$16.84

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 AOA 1,376

$2.95 MX$51.0

-48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 AOA 1,594

$4.45 MX$77.0

-60.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 AOA 1,736

$1.38 MX$23.93

37.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 AOA 1,097

$1.89 MX$32.72

-36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 AOA 1,312

$1.64 MX$28.32

-12.20%

Eggs

$2.14 AOA 1,954

$2.51 MX$43.34

-14.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.66 AOA 11.6K

$8.34 MX$144

51.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.03 AOA 5,506

$8.34 MX$144

-27.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 AOA 8,791

$10.73 MX$186

-10.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 AOA 2,397

$2.60 MX$45.04

1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 AOA 1,013

$1.46 MX$25.20

-23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 AOA 2,851

$1.90 MX$32.87

64.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 AOA 1,937

$2.08 MX$35.91

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 AOA 1,590

$1.78 MX$30.71

-2.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 AOA 1,465

$2.19 MX$37.80

-26.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 AOA 1,778

$1.04 MX$17.99

87.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 AOA 419

$1.08 MX$18.62

-57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 AOA 2,123

$4.08 MX$70.6

-42.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 AOA 5,482

$10.32 MX$178

-41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AOA 514

$1.71 MX$29.61

-67.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 AOA 1,210

$2.58 MX$44.54

-48.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 AOA 331

$0.51 MX$8.81

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.60 AOA 29.8K

$26.46 MX$458

23.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 AOA 1,070

$3.26 MX$56.4

-64.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 AOA 791

$2.49 MX$43.09

-65.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 AOA 5,462

$3.25 MX$56.2

84.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 AOA 326

$1.31 MX$22.61

-72.52%

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

$19.9K AOA 18.2M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-34.33%

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

$28.1K AOA 25.7M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

19.91%

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

$95.5 AOA 87.2K

$82.9 MX$1,433

15.26%

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

$19.80 AOA 18.1K

$22.22 MX$384

-10.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 AOA 119.9K

$29.34 MX$507

347.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 AOA 38.5K

$51.6 MX$893

-18.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.25 AOA 13.0K

$18.32 MX$317

-22.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 AOA 4,219

$5.07 MX$87.6

-8.88%

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

$699 AOA 638.6K

$201 MX$3,473

248.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K AOA 13.6M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

185.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.3 AOA 89.7K

$36.92 MX$639

166.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.4 AOA 72.5K

$39.79 MX$688

99.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 AOA 116.7K

$78.5 MX$1,357

62.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$254 AOA 231.8K

$87.1 MX$1,506

191.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 AOA 475.5K

$973 MX$16.8K

-46.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 AOA 260.9K

$468 MX$8,090

-38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,330 AOA 2.1M

$1,641 MX$28.4K

41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 AOA 1.2M

$1,221 MX$21.1K

9.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K AOA 11.1M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

208.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$891 AOA 813.7K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-86.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,417 AOA 1.3M

$664 MX$11.5K

113.41%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $521 in Luanda and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 113% 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 $224 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,237 vs $1,297 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Luanda pays 113% more on average, 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: $521 in Luanda versus $973 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $699 in Luanda versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,237 in Luanda versus $1,297 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.