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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,237 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,318 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,399 in Luanda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than Luanda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Luanda 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$5.93 AOA 5,418

97.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$48.12 AOA 43.9K

-13.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.73 AOA 7,061

37.65%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.53 AOA 3,222

-0.28%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.61 AOA 1,469

-6.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$1.05 AOA 960

-7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.51 AOA 1,376

95.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.75 AOA 1,594

154.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.90 AOA 1,736

-27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.20 AOA 1,097

57.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.44 AOA 1,312

13.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.14 AOA 1,954

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.66 AOA 11.6K

-34.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.03 AOA 5,506

38.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.63 AOA 8,791

11.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.63 AOA 2,397

-1.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.11 AOA 1,013

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$3.12 AOA 2,851

-39.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.12 AOA 1,937

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.74 AOA 1,590

2.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.60 AOA 1,465

36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.95 AOA 1,778

-46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.46 AOA 419

134.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.33 AOA 2,123

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.00 AOA 5,482

72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.56 AOA 514

205.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.33 AOA 1,210

93.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.36 AOA 331

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$32.60 AOA 29.8K

-18.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.17 AOA 1,070

178.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.87 AOA 791

186.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$5.98 AOA 5,462

-45.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.36 AOA 326

263.89%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$19.9K AOA 18.2M

52.28%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.1K AOA 25.7M

-16.61%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$95.5 AOA 87.2K

-13.24%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$19.80 AOA 18.1K

12.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$131 AOA 119.9K

-77.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$42.15 AOA 38.5K

22.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.25 AOA 13.0K

28.56%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.62 AOA 4,219

9.74%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$699 AOA 638.6K

-71.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$14.9K AOA 13.6M

-65.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$98.3 AOA 89.7K

-62.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$79.4 AOA 72.5K

-49.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$128 AOA 116.7K

-38.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$254 AOA 231.8K

-65.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$521 AOA 475.5K

86.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$286 AOA 260.9K

63.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$2,330 AOA 2.1M

-29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,338 AOA 1.2M

-8.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$12.2K AOA 11.1M

-67.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$891 AOA 813.7K

629.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,417 AOA 1.3M

-53.14%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Luanda: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $521 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 113% 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 $224, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,237 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Luanda earns 113% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $521 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $699 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,237 in Luanda versus $1,297 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 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.