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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $699 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,058 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,416 in Kafue, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 82% 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 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.05 ZMW 123

68.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$25.10 ZMW 439

70.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$3.77 ZMW 65.8

182.49%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.97 ZMW 34.38

75.13%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.68 ZMW 11.84

120.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.36 ZMW 6.37

163.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.95 ZMW 16.60

218.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.81 ZMW 31.64

154.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.27 ZMW 22.13

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.80 ZMW 13.90

131.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.58 ZMW 27.65

1.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.83 ZMW 31.93

41.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.69 ZMW 134

7.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.97 ZMW 69.5

110.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.63 ZMW 80.9

130.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.57 ZMW 44.91

2.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.63 ZMW 28.52

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.70 ZMW 47.24

-28.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.13 ZMW 19.74

84.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.88 ZMW 32.87

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.36 ZMW 23.82

66.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.88 ZMW 15.37

20.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.49 ZMW 8.51

122.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.42 ZMW 42.24

71.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.34 ZMW 198

-8.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.08 ZMW 18.89

59.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.52 ZMW 26.54

71.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.61 ZMW 28.22

-66.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$46.10 ZMW 806

-41.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.81 ZMW 49.17

11.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$9.37 ZMW 164

-66.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.20 ZMW 20.97

5.83%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$8,105 ZMW 141.7K

274.74%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.4K ZMW 496.4K

-17.02%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$91.0 ZMW 1,590

-8.77%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$52.2 ZMW 912

-56.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$126 ZMW 2,210

-76.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.25 ZMW 74.2

16.00%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$174 ZMW 3,035

13.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,402 ZMW 164.3K

-43.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$18.99 ZMW 332

94.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$17.28 ZMW 302

130.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$83.4 ZMW 1,457

-4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$73.6 ZMW 1,287

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kafue: June 8, 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: $250 vs $179 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $699 in Kafue – roughly 82% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,049 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $197 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 40% 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 $699, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $699 in Kafue to $1,271 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.