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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $708 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,061 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,414 in Kafue, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 78% 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 5% lower, Kafue 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.33 ZMW 137

59.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$25.17 ZMW 469

66.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$3.63 ZMW 67.7

189.53%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.92 ZMW 35.83

86.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.67 ZMW 12.53

125.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.33 ZMW 6.23

178.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$0.87 ZMW 16.22

240.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.81 ZMW 33.84

143.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.33 ZMW 24.90

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.75 ZMW 14.04

150.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.60 ZMW 29.83

-2.50%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.85 ZMW 34.45

41.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.62 ZMW 142

9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.80 ZMW 70.8

119.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$4.65 ZMW 86.7

133.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.48 ZMW 46.19

9.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.65 ZMW 30.82

-8.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.75 ZMW 51.3

-32.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.15 ZMW 21.54

90.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.87 ZMW 34.88

-0.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.33 ZMW 24.71

67.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.92 ZMW 17.18

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.52 ZMW 9.62

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.54 ZMW 47.40

64.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.77 ZMW 201

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.12 ZMW 20.96

48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.51 ZMW 28.24

72.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.64 ZMW 30.61

-67.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$46.63 ZMW 870

-43.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.69 ZMW 50.1

14.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$9.29 ZMW 173

-66.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.20 ZMW 22.33

9.17%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$7,897 ZMW 147.3K

277.43%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$28.4K ZMW 528.8K

-17.74%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$90.2 ZMW 1,681

-9.84%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$52.3 ZMW 976

-56.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$125 ZMW 2,336

-76.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.23 ZMW 78.9

16.31%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$174 ZMW 3,245

15.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$9,500 ZMW 177.2K

-45.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$18.76 ZMW 350

91.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$17.29 ZMW 323

132.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$83.3 ZMW 1,554

-4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$72.1 ZMW 1,344

19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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 Kafue: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $25.00 in Kafue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $178 – 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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $708 in Kafue – roughly 78% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,061 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $174 in Kafue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% 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 $708, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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 $708 in Kafue to $1,260 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.