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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $754 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,065 in Machakos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 187% more expensive than Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Machakos 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.34 KES 303

407.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.41 KES 4,980

11.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.89 KES 893

54.57%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.95 KES 252

76.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.69 KES 90.1

117.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.51 KES 65.7

86.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.88 KES 243

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.77 KES 359

66.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.40 KES 52.4

245.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.44 KES 56.9

320.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.76 KES 97.9

111.84%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.36 KES 176

90.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.49 KES 1,490

-28.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.77 KES 878

23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$4.75 KES 615

124.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.53 KES 198

71.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.75 KES 96.9

98.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.37 KES 48.26

418.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.38 KES 49.23

450.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.80 KES 104

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.78 KES 101

189.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.65 KES 83.7

63.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.38 KES 48.81

186.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.11 KES 404

33.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.55 KES 1,498

-10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.98 KES 257

-13.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.75 KES 356

-5.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.73 KES 95.2

328.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.80 KES 103

213.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.96 KES 384

6.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.51 KES 196

-15.89%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

38.29%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

19.93%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.62 KES 4,489

139.75%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.56 KES 980

200.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.64 KES 1,510

153.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.27 KES 813

-21.37%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$46.87 KES 6,077

320.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,961 KES 1.0M

-33.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$11.72 KES 1,520

214.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.84 KES 3,091

67.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$65.5 KES 8,497

22.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$38.27 KES 4,962

133.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$93.1 KES 12.1K

926.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$68.7 KES 8,910

594.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$152 KES 19.7K

984.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$118 KES 15.3K

938.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$393 KES 50.9K

69.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.84

-23.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Machakos: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $93.1 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 70% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $165 per month, with Machakos 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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 70% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.1 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Machakos – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $443 in Machakos versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $443 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Machakos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.