Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nampula and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nampula: $531 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Nampula, Mozambique
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Nampula
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$531
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $531 per month in Nampula vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Nampula $531
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $707 per month in Nampula vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Nampula $707
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $882 per month in Nampula vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Nampula $882
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Nampula is about 56% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nampula and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Nampula 61% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 MZN 356
$10.92 MX$205
-48.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$43.37 MX$815
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.78 MX$221
-
Cappuccino
-
$3.81 MX$71.6
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 MZN 48.20
$1.28 MX$24.10
-40.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 MZN 25.83
$0.78 MX$14.71
-47.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 MZN 97.3
$3.17 MX$59.5
-51.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.93 MX$92.7
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MZN 92.7
$1.41 MX$26.43
4.26%
White Bread (500g)
$0.45 MZN 28.38
$2.22 MX$41.66
-79.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.07 MZN 67.7
$1.42 MX$26.64
-24.65%
Eggs
$1.90 MZN 120
$2.52 MX$47.41
-24.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.92 MZN 627
$7.26 MX$137
36.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.51 MZN 222
$7.70 MX$145
-54.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.80 MZN 241
$12.69 MX$239
-70.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.17 MZN 201
$2.78 MX$52.3
14.03%
Banana (1kg)
$3.17 MZN 200
$1.37 MX$25.71
131.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 MZN 129
$2.55 MX$47.94
-20.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.92 MZN 58.2
$2.12 MX$39.90
-56.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 MZN 92.0
$1.94 MX$36.43
-25.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 MZN 107
$1.89 MX$35.44
-10.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 MZN 46.50
$1.15 MX$21.55
-35.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 MZN 56.5
$1.18 MX$22.16
-24.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.30 MX$80.7
-
Wine (Bottle)
$6.29 MZN 398
$9.95 MX$187
-36.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 MZN 147
$1.58 MX$29.76
47.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$50.2
-
🚌 Getting Around
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 MZN 11.64
$0.55 MX$10.40
-67.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.57 MZN 99.3
$4.97 MX$93.4
-68.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.38 MZN 151
$3.33 MX$62.6
-28.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.36 MX$101
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MZN 97.4
$1.44 MX$27.14
6.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.7K MX$388.4K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.5K MX$441.0K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 MZN 7,399
$84.8 MX$1,594
37.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.16 MZN 2,161
$23.41 MX$440
45.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$125 MZN 7,930
$28.66 MX$539
337.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,072
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.14 MX$96.6
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$207 MX$3,882
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$43.35 MX$815
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$41.44 MX$779
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$74.2 MX$1,394
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$89.3 MX$1,677
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
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)
$944 MZN 59.7K
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-44.71%
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
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nampula
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Nampula: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$381
Groceries & Markets
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$255
Eating Out
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sport & Entertainment
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$67
Getting Around
Nampula
–
Playa del Carmen
$50
Good to know
🇲🇿 Nampula
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
04:35 4:35 AM
21:35 9:35 PM
7 h behind Nampula
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
477,900
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.62 MZN (100 MZN = 1.42 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nampula Playa del Carmen 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nampula
  • 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
Nampula vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nampula cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $797 per month in Nampula and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Nampula and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $531 in Nampula and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Nampula about 56% cheaper.
How do food prices compare in Nampula and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 39% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Nampula or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nampula, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Nampula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Nampula or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $531 in Nampula to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Nampula vs other spots: cost of living compared

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