Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malindi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $517 per month in Malindi vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malindi $517
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $803 per month in Malindi vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malindi $803
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,090 per month in Malindi vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malindi $1,090
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Malindi is about 57% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Malindi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Malindi 62% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 KES 277

$10.92 MX$205

-80.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.30 KES 3,284

$43.37 MX$815

-41.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 KES 1,355

$11.78 MX$221

-11.38%

Cappuccino

$2.70 KES 351

$3.81 MX$71.6

-29.13%

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

$0.68 KES 88.5

$1.28 MX$24.10

-46.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.1

$0.78 MX$14.71

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$3.17 MX$59.5

-27.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KES 419

$4.93 MX$92.7

-34.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 KES 117

$1.41 MX$26.43

-36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 64.3

$2.22 MX$41.66

-77.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 KES 162

$1.42 MX$26.64

-11.97%

Eggs

$1.83 KES 237

$2.52 MX$47.41

-27.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 KES 1,480

$7.26 MX$137

57.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 KES 647

$7.70 MX$145

-35.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.89 KES 635

$12.69 MX$239

-61.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 KES 269

$2.78 MX$52.3

-25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.37 MX$25.71

-43.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.55 MX$47.94

-30.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 KES 91.7

$2.12 MX$39.90

-66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.7

$1.94 MX$36.43

-62.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$1.89 MX$35.44

-65.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 KES 77.1

$1.15 MX$21.55

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KES 58.8

$1.18 MX$22.16

-61.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 KES 540

$4.30 MX$80.7

-3.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 KES 1,276

$9.95 MX$187

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 KES 261

$1.58 MX$29.76

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 KES 384

$2.67 MX$50.2

10.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 KES 408

$4.97 MX$93.4

-36.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 KES 231

$3.33 MX$62.6

-46.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.59 KES 596

$5.36 MX$101

-14.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 KES 178

$1.44 MX$27.14

-4.86%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

-41.70%

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

$12.0K KES 1.6M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-48.84%

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

$76.0 KES 9,870

$84.8 MX$1,594

-10.32%

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

$8.99 KES 1,166

$23.41 MX$440

-61.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.23 KES 3,924

$28.66 MX$539

5.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 KES 5,013

$57.1 MX$1,072

-32.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 KES 2,002

$5.14 MX$96.6

200.00%

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

$85.5 KES 11.1K

$207 MX$3,882

-58.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,381 KES 698.4K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

37.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.28 KES 1,723

$43.35 MX$815

-69.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 KES 1,737

$41.44 MX$779

-67.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.49 KES 3,049

$74.2 MX$1,394

-68.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.81 KES 6,076

$89.3 MX$1,677

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 KES 49.2K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-77.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.54%

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

Last update for Malindi: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Malindi

$173 33.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 47.6% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malindi

$115 22.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 18.7% $22

Eating Out

Malindi

$104 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 95.4% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Malindi

$69 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 3.1% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Malindi

$44 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 156% $68

Getting Around

Malindi

$12 * 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 319% $38

Accommodation & Living

Malindi

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Malindi versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $255 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Malindi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

8 h behind Malindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

149,923

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malindi Playa del Carmen 13,990 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Malindi
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 133% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $775 per month in Malindi 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 $25 in Malindi and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Malindi, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Malindi 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 $517 in Malindi to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.