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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,010 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,900 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,790 in Luanda.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Luanda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Luanda 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.56 AOA 5,073

115.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.47 AOA 5,909

81.61%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$2.53 AOA 2,312

62.85%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$1.34 AOA 1,227

4.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$1.16 AOA 1,056

-21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$1.66 AOA 1,513

93.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.66 AOA 1,519

325.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.99 AOA 1,819

-15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$0.95 AOA 869

126.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$1.61 AOA 1,466

9.94%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$1.88 AOA 1,714

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.26 AOA 8,450

-0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$3.44 AOA 3,138

168.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$7.52 AOA 6,861

68.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$2.25 AOA 2,058

31.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$1.01 AOA 926

56.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$2.78 AOA 2,536

-20.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$1.84 AOA 1,683

28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$1.55 AOA 1,412

28.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$1.58 AOA 1,441

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$1.76 AOA 1,604

-29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$0.34 AOA 315

255.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$1.62 AOA 1,481

183.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.89 AOA 5,378

78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$0.45 AOA 412

275.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$0.92 AOA 838

201.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$0.34 AOA 310

76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

-10.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$1.12 AOA 1,027

367.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$0.91 AOA 830

301.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$5.50 AOA 5,020

5.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$0.32 AOA 292

381.25%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

61.00%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

13.56%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$101 AOA 92.0K

-10.09%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

41.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

-60.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

50.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

88.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$3.57 AOA 3,259

36.13%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$759 AOA 692.4K

-70.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

-68.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$109 AOA 99.4K

-56.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

-31.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

-18.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$201 AOA 183.3K

-54.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$390 AOA 356.0K

178.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$196 AOA 179.1K

108.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

-9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,039 AOA 948.3K

23.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

-66.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$894 AOA 815.7K

650.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

-45.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-45.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $390 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Luanda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $183 per month, with Luanda cheaper across the board.

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 29% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,010 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 82% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $390 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $759 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,305 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.