Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $719 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
59

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

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Mombasa vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mombasa $719
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Mombasa vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mombasa $1,147
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,575 per month in Mombasa vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mombasa $1,575
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Mombasa is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Mombasa and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Mombasa 47% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$10.76 MX$199

-75.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$43.03 MX$795

-41.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

$11.79 MX$218

-11.11%

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$3.87 MX$71.4

-29.20%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$1.37 MX$25.29

-50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$0.84 MX$15.44

-38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

$3.10 MX$57.3

-24.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

$5.07 MX$93.6

-34.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$1.44 MX$26.55

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$2.23 MX$41.23

-77.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.47 MX$27.17

5.44%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$2.53 MX$46.71

-28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

$7.30 MX$135

90.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$7.86 MX$145

-36.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$12.79 MX$236

-58.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$2.90 MX$53.6

-27.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.44 MX$26.53

-19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.55 MX$47.07

-30.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$2.06 MX$38.03

-66.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$2.00 MX$36.97

-64.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$2.01 MX$37.07

-49.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$1.19 MX$22.02

-49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$1.26 MX$23.23

-65.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

$4.40 MX$81.4

-9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$9.59 MX$177

-0.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.59 MX$29.41

25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$2.81 MX$51.9

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$0.57 MX$10.47

40.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

$27.82 MX$514

39.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$4.98 MX$92.1

-36.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$3.50 MX$64.6

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

$5.40 MX$99.8

-13.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.47 MX$27.08

6.12%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-42.48%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-50.55%

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

$84.2 MX$1,556

-8.63%

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

$23.99 MX$443

-61.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$29.02 MX$536

18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

$63.0 MX$1,164

-71.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

$29.14 MX$539

-35.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

$4.94 MX$91.3

216.40%

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

$204 MX$3,763

-57.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

37.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

$43.60 MX$806

-70.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

$43.12 MX$797

-68.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

$75.8 MX$1,400

-69.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

$88.6 MX$1,637

-47.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-77.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$374 MX$6,911

-58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-68.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-66.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

37.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-37.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

$754 MX$13.9K

-58.56%

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 Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 39.4% $73

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 138% $217

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 13.8% $17

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 86.1% $94

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 2.6% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 47.4% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 161% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Mombasa versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 141% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $258 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:48 2:48 PM

06:48 6:48 AM

8 h behind Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Playa del Carmen 13,980 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $719 in Mombasa, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Mombasa and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Mombasa and $43.00 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 $719 in Mombasa and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 68%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Mombasa 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 $719 in Mombasa to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.