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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,225 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,301 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,377 in Luanda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Luanda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Luanda 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.95 AOA 5,425

101.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$48.08 AOA 43.9K

-13.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.65 AOA 6,979

40.52%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.54 AOA 3,229

-1.13%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.65 AOA 1,508

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.06 AOA 971

-16.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.52 AOA 1,391

94.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.79 AOA 1,632

151.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.91 AOA 1,742

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.21 AOA 1,104

52.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.39 AOA 1,266

12.95%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.22 AOA 2,025

13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.55 AOA 11.5K

-34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.09 AOA 5,560

38.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.14 AOA 9,253

5.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.60 AOA 2,374

0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.06 AOA 968

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.12 AOA 2,849

-37.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.05 AOA 1,870

1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.76 AOA 1,605

5.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.53 AOA 1,392

41.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$2.00 AOA 1,827

-48.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.43 AOA 391

148.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.35 AOA 2,141

74.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$5.86 AOA 5,348

73.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.60 AOA 545

180.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.30 AOA 1,189

94.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.37 AOA 335

37.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$33.07 AOA 30.2K

-21.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.22 AOA 1,111

164.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.87 AOA 794

177.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.11 AOA 5,575

-47.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.38 AOA 349

247.37%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$20.0K AOA 18.2M

48.60%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$28.4K AOA 25.9M

-16.76%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$97.7 AOA 89.1K

-16.02%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$20.52 AOA 18.7K

11.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$133 AOA 121.1K

-77.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$43.50 AOA 39.7K

19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$14.35 AOA 13.1K

29.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.48 AOA 4,086

11.16%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$689 AOA 628.9K

-71.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$14.8K AOA 13.5M

-63.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$99.4 AOA 90.7K

-64.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$78.5 AOA 71.7K

-48.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$131 AOA 119.5K

-39.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$250 AOA 227.8K

-64.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$531 AOA 484.7K

78.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$288 AOA 262.8K

64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$2,345 AOA 2.1M

-29.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,357 AOA 1.2M

-10.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$12.1K AOA 11.0M

-66.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$860 AOA 784.8K

652.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,379 AOA 1.3M

-52.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-52.42%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Luanda: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $531 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $48.00 in Luanda. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $225, with Luanda cheaper for home cooking.

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 Luanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Luanda differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,225 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Luanda. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $531 in Luanda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $689 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Luanda versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.