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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $652 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $965 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,278 in Kabwe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 93% 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 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$7.24 ZMW 136

61.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$24.49 ZMW 459

71.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$3.63 ZMW 68.0

189.53%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.93 ZMW 36.26

86.01%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.73 ZMW 13.73

106.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.33 ZMW 6.26

178.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$0.94 ZMW 17.67

214.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$1.76 ZMW 32.96

150.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.33 ZMW 25.02

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.78 ZMW 14.65

141.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.60 ZMW 30.08

-2.50%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$0.95 ZMW 17.81

174.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$7.88 ZMW 148

5.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.99 ZMW 74.8

109.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$4.51 ZMW 84.5

140.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.52 ZMW 47.16

7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.87 ZMW 16.24

73.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.66 ZMW 49.94

-29.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.15 ZMW 21.58

90.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.87 ZMW 35.08

-0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.38 ZMW 25.86

61.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.92 ZMW 17.29

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.51 ZMW 9.57

113.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.52 ZMW 47.34

66.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.60 ZMW 199

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.14 ZMW 21.39

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.52 ZMW 28.56

71.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$2.80 ZMW 52.5

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$9.09 ZMW 170

-65.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.24 ZMW 23.26

5.65%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$8,130 ZMW 152.4K

266.63%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$28.0K ZMW 525.2K

-16.73%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$92.7 ZMW 1,739

-12.36%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$52.5 ZMW 985

-57.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$123 ZMW 2,309

-75.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$4.28 ZMW 80.3

14.95%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$174 ZMW 3,260

15.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$9,643 ZMW 180.8K

-46.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$19.14 ZMW 359

87.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$17.04 ZMW 320

135.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$84.0 ZMW 1,575

-5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$74.2 ZMW 1,392

16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $171 – 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 93% 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $977 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 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 $652, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $652 versus $1,260 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.