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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $702 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,039 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,375 in Kafue, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 83% more than Kafue, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kafue are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kafue 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.05 ZMW 134

69.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$25.14 ZMW 477

70.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$3.64 ZMW 69.2

190.93%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.92 ZMW 36.51

88.54%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.69 ZMW 13.00

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.36 ZMW 6.84

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$0.95 ZMW 18.02

225.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.80 ZMW 34.23

147.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.34 ZMW 25.38

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.75 ZMW 14.22

150.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.59 ZMW 30.20

2.52%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.83 ZMW 34.71

44.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.67 ZMW 146

7.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.96 ZMW 75.2

109.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$4.67 ZMW 88.6

137.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.60 ZMW 49.38

1.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.61 ZMW 30.51

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.71 ZMW 51.4

-26.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.11 ZMW 21.11

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.81 ZMW 34.37

-1.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.37 ZMW 26.00

59.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.87 ZMW 16.45

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.51 ZMW 9.68

103.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.43 ZMW 46.15

63.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.85 ZMW 149

29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.14 ZMW 21.67

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.56 ZMW 29.53

60.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.62 ZMW 30.79

-67.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$47.22 ZMW 896

-42.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.72 ZMW 51.6

15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$9.43 ZMW 179

-67.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.20 ZMW 22.71

5.83%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$7,881 ZMW 149.6K

291.87%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$28.9K ZMW 548.3K

-19.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$89.9 ZMW 1,706

-8.78%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$53.0 ZMW 1,005

-57.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$124 ZMW 2,355

-76.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.07 ZMW 77.3

22.11%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$177 ZMW 3,351

12.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,736 ZMW 184.8K

-45.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$18.66 ZMW 354

94.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$17.33 ZMW 329

131.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$85.9 ZMW 1,630

-6.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$73.4 ZMW 1,393

21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kafue: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Kafue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $173 – making Kafue 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 Kafue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $702 in Kafue – roughly 83% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,053 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $177 in Kafue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kafue, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Kafue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $702 in Kafue to $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kafue. 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.