Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kabwe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $632 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $948 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,264 in Kabwe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 101% more than Kabwe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kabwe 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.30 ZMW 128

62.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$25.29 ZMW 442

69.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.68 ZMW 64.3

189.40%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.03 ZMW 35.54

69.95%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.73 ZMW 12.74

105.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.36 ZMW 6.35

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.94 ZMW 16.51

222.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.81 ZMW 31.65

154.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.27 ZMW 22.17

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.75 ZMW 13.12

146.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.67 ZMW 29.11

-3.59%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$0.97 ZMW 16.92

167.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.85 ZMW 137

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.80 ZMW 66.5

120.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.55 ZMW 79.6

134.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.48 ZMW 43.32

6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.87 ZMW 15.14

71.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.79 ZMW 48.73

-31.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.16 ZMW 20.28

80.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.80 ZMW 31.40

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.31 ZMW 22.93

72.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.92 ZMW 16.11

15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 ZMW 9.11

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.42 ZMW 42.26

71.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.19 ZMW 196

-7.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.10 ZMW 19.21

56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.52 ZMW 26.65

71.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.77 ZMW 48.37

13.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.94 ZMW 156

-64.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.24 ZMW 21.68

2.42%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$8,110 ZMW 141.8K

274.51%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.9K ZMW 504.9K

-18.41%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$92.3 ZMW 1,614

-10.11%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$52.0 ZMW 909

-56.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$126 ZMW 2,194

-76.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.09 ZMW 71.6

20.54%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$180 ZMW 3,150

9.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,441 ZMW 165.0K

-44.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$19.14 ZMW 334

92.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$16.66 ZMW 291

139.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$84.9 ZMW 1,484

-5.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$71.7 ZMW 1,253

24.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-54.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $170 – making Kabwe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 101% more than Kabwe, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $948 in Kabwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $25.00 in Kabwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kabwe, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Kabwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kabwe costs $632 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Kabwe. 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.