Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kitwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitwe: $186 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Kitwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kitwe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kitwe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $186 in Kitwe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Kitwe $186

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,228 in Kitwe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kitwe $1,228

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,270 in Kitwe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Kitwe $2,270

Playa del Carmen costs about 548% more than Kitwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kitwe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Kitwe 86% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.56 ZMW 51.9

48.05%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$0.58 ZMW 11.71

124.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.76 ZMW 15.42

9.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.02 ZMW 40.98

55.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.46 ZMW 49.76

100.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.02 ZMW 20.58

115.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.48 ZMW 50.3

72.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.13 ZMW 22.83

40.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$0.98 ZMW 19.93

180.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.42 ZMW 28.72

7.75%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$30.4K ZMW 615.0K

-23.40%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

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

$23.19 MX$431

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$102 ZMW 2,056

-72.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$15.11 ZMW 306

273.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

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

$207 MX$3,854

$609 ZMW 12.3K

-65.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$11.9K ZMW 241.7K

-56.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,205 ZMW 24.4K

-17.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$2,451 ZMW 49.6K

-31.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,010 ZMW 40.7K

-46.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-68.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kitwe: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Kitwe

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Kitwe

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Kitwe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Kitwe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Kitwe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Kitwe

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kitwe

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,205 in Kitwe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇲 Kitwe

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

522,092

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.94 USD

100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.83 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 20.25 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.94 USD). 1 EUR = 22.67 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kitwe 13,110 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kitwe

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kitwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, $186 in Kitwe – Kitwe comes out roughly 85% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Kitwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,205 in Kitwe.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $609 in Kitwe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $186 in Kitwe. That makes Kitwe about 85% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kitwe, where all-in costs run around $186, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Kitwe 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 $186 in Kitwe to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.