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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $907 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,534 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,161 in Lusaka.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in Lusaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lusaka 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.70 ZMW 109

105.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$31.91 ZMW 609

46.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.31 ZMW 101

119.40%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.98 ZMW 57.0

37.25%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.82 ZMW 15.73

67.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.47 ZMW 9.02

76.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.36 ZMW 25.95

146.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.34 ZMW 44.68

195.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.86 ZMW 35.53

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$1.25 ZMW 23.79

80.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.19 ZMW 41.74

-19.18%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.05 ZMW 39.17

33.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.75 ZMW 205

-14.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.54 ZMW 125

36.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$6.75 ZMW 129

86.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.55 ZMW 67.9

-14.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$2.50 ZMW 47.66

-37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$3.72 ZMW 71.0

-42.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$1.59 ZMW 30.34

42.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$2.74 ZMW 52.3

-27.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.97 ZMW 37.63

4.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.15 ZMW 21.91

2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.83 ZMW 15.77

44.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.22 ZMW 61.4

43.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$10.52 ZMW 201

1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.48 ZMW 28.18

9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$2.47 ZMW 47.26

16.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.02 ZMW 19.56

-44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$52.1 ZMW 995

-42.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.67 ZMW 51.1

104.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.56 ZMW 29.78

137.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$5.23 ZMW 99.9

14.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.58 ZMW 30.13

-1.90%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$7,791 ZMW 148.8K

186.58%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$27.7K ZMW 529.1K

-6.32%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$83.7 ZMW 1,598

6.55%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$11.07 ZMW 211

126.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$56.7 ZMW 1,083

-44.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$56.4 ZMW 1,076

20.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$15.97 ZMW 305

81.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$6.37 ZMW 122

-20.72%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$147 ZMW 2,802

53.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$16.6K ZMW 317.2K

-74.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$24.76 ZMW 473

91.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$16.00 ZMW 306

181.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$47.84 ZMW 914

71.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$77.1 ZMW 1,472

19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$389 ZMW 7,424

175.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$183 ZMW 3,492

121.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,118 ZMW 21.3K

73.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$596 ZMW 11.4K

118.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,896 ZMW 36.2K

110.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$5,285 ZMW 100.9K

25.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$336 ZMW 6,414

122.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-60.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $389 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 123% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $249 per month, with Lusaka 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 Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Lusaka differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $907 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 123% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $389 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $907 in Lusaka – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $907 in Lusaka versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.