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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $605 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $953 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,302 in Kafue, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 109% more than Kafue, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kafue are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kafue 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.73 ZMW 112

102.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$30.86 ZMW 605

52.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.16 ZMW 101

130.23%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.85 ZMW 55.9

39.65%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.75 ZMW 14.63

90.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.50 ZMW 9.81

64.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.28 ZMW 25.08

149.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.30 ZMW 45.11

195.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.83 ZMW 35.96

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.26 ZMW 24.71

74.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$2.13 ZMW 41.74

-19.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.97 ZMW 38.63

39.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.78 ZMW 211

-11.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.75 ZMW 132

33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.72 ZMW 132

90.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.57 ZMW 69.9

-19.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$2.55 ZMW 50.0

-41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$3.79 ZMW 74.4

-43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.56 ZMW 30.63

44.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.60 ZMW 51.0

-23.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.94 ZMW 38.05

2.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.20 ZMW 23.59

2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.81 ZMW 15.88

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.19 ZMW 62.5

42.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$10.60 ZMW 208

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.52 ZMW 29.83

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.34 ZMW 45.90

23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.59 ZMW 50.8

108.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.62 ZMW 31.67

130.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$5.13 ZMW 100

12.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.61 ZMW 31.55

-4.35%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$7,734 ZMW 151.6K

191.54%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$27.2K ZMW 532.7K

-4.13%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$82.0 ZMW 1,607

11.47%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$10.99 ZMW 215

129.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$57.5 ZMW 1,127

-45.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.38 ZMW 125

-23.82%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$146 ZMW 2,868

52.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$16.8K ZMW 328.3K

-74.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$23.80 ZMW 466

97.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$15.75 ZMW 309

181.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$46.80 ZMW 917

71.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$74.4 ZMW 1,458

24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 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 12, 2026

Last update for Kafue: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $31.00 in Kafue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $249 – 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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $605 in Kafue – roughly 109% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $907 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $605 in Kafue. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $146 in Kafue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kafue, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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 $605 in Kafue to $1,266 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.