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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $526 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $809 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Machakos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 141% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Machakos 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$3.07 KES 397

277.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$19.14 KES 2,476

146.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$6.36 KES 823

86.79%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.96 KES 254

103.06%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.60 KES 77.3

138.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.53 KES 69.0

54.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.13 KES 276

49.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.74 KES 355

147.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.38 KES 48.67

342.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.47 KES 61.1

368.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$0.73 KES 94.8

134.25%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.38 KES 178

98.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$10.68 KES 1,383

-10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.50 KES 841

38.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$4.68 KES 606

173.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.57 KES 204

84.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$0.81 KES 104

85.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$0.38 KES 48.89

465.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.37 KES 48.05

510.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.80 KES 104

147.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.78 KES 101

155.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.69 KES 89.0

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.38 KES 48.70

215.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.39 KES 439

34.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$11.68 KES 1,512

-11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.95 KES 253

-16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.83 KES 366

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$0.79 KES 102

582.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.79 KES 102

372.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$2.86 KES 370

101.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.43 KES 186

7.69%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

2.89%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$20.5K KES 2.6M

27.33%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$62.6 KES 8,097

46.04%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$7.54 KES 976

234.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$11.42 KES 1,477

173.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$38.55 KES 4,988

74.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.71 KES 997

-36.96%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$46.27 KES 5,988

383.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$11.4K KES 1.5M

-62.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$11.44 KES 1,480

311.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$27.85 KES 3,604

59.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$71.0 KES 9,181

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$38.84 KES 5,026

138.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$92.3 KES 11.9K

1051.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$70.3 KES 9,094

455.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$154 KES 20.0K

1292.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$115 KES 14.8K

1009.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$391 KES 50.6K

93.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.71

-22.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Machakos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $92.3 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 94% 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 $19.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $162 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 141% 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.

Average pay runs 94% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.3 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $526 in Machakos – a 141% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $526 in Machakos versus $1,266 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 $526 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 141% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.