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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $584 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $947 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,310 in Kabwe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 124% more than Kabwe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kabwe 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.76 ZMW 111

107.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$31.68 ZMW 610

49.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$5.34 ZMW 103

120.04%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.91 ZMW 55.9

41.58%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$0.76 ZMW 14.55

84.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.47 ZMW 9.03

93.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$1.27 ZMW 24.40

152.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.34 ZMW 44.96

202.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.81 ZMW 34.86

-7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$1.27 ZMW 24.42

69.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.20 ZMW 42.36

-19.55%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.21 ZMW 23.29

133.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.85 ZMW 209

-15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.38 ZMW 123

44.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$6.62 ZMW 127

90.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.58 ZMW 68.9

-17.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.07 ZMW 20.62

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$3.83 ZMW 73.8

-42.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$1.57 ZMW 30.27

50.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$2.73 ZMW 52.5

-27.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$1.88 ZMW 36.20

5.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$1.15 ZMW 22.18

7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.81 ZMW 15.56

49.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.06 ZMW 58.9

50.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$10.31 ZMW 198

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$1.46 ZMW 28.05

15.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$2.42 ZMW 46.61

14.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$2.58 ZMW 49.70

103.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$1.55 ZMW 29.84

135.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$5.20 ZMW 100

11.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.39 ZMW 26.67

10.79%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$7,707 ZMW 148.4K

195.86%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$27.0K ZMW 520.2K

-4.49%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$84.1 ZMW 1,620

7.77%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$10.73 ZMW 206

134.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$57.9 ZMW 1,115

-45.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$6.28 ZMW 121

-22.61%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$141 ZMW 2,707

60.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$16.7K ZMW 321.5K

-74.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$24.13 ZMW 465

96.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$16.00 ZMW 308

171.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$47.52 ZMW 915

68.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$74.3 ZMW 1,431

22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-60.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $235 – 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 124% more than Kabwe, with the gap driven mainly by 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $876 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Kabwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% 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 $584, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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 $584 versus $1,305 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.