Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Chingola

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Chingola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $428 in Chingola.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Chingola $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Chingola.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Chingola $731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,033 in Chingola.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Chingola $1,033

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 181% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Chingola 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$15.26 ZMW 304

-28.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$25.50 ZMW 507

73.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

157.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

401.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

301.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

-16.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

-40.32%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

35.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.11 ZMW 102

55.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

177.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

40.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

30.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

7.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

176.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

102.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

148.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

241.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

491.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$10.17 ZMW 202

-47.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

8.21%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$49.29 ZMW 980

73.18%

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$9.97 ZMW 198

523.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$20.29 ZMW 404

118.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$12.36 ZMW 246

234.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

44.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

-59.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$112 ZMW 2,223

559.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 560% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $163 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

210,073

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Chingola 13,070 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Chingola

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

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

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 181% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 560% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $428 in Chingola versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.