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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $752 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,051 in Machakos.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 184% more expensive than Machakos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Machakos 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.34 KES 302

410.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$38.88 KES 5,018

9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.85 KES 884

54.60%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.99 KES 257

81.91%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.74 KES 95.7

98.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.50 KES 64.9

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.91 KES 247

61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.70 KES 348

65.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.38 KES 48.71

276.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.45 KES 57.8

317.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.81 KES 104

101.23%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.35 KES 175

95.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.65 KES 1,504

-29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.69 KES 864

23.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$4.57 KES 590

142.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.53 KES 197

73.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.73 KES 94.5

105.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.41 KES 52.4

385.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.37 KES 48.38

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.78 KES 101

129.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.75 KES 97.4

190.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.65 KES 84.0

66.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.41 KES 52.8

153.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.01 KES 388

31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.72 KES 1,512

-12.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.98 KES 255

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.73 KES 353

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.75 KES 97.1

318.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.80 KES 104

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.97 KES 383

4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.45 KES 187

-12.41%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

40.72%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

15.51%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$33.86 KES 4,370

142.20%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.93 KES 1,023

183.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$11.71 KES 1,511

153.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.05 KES 781

-17.85%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$45.51 KES 5,874

334.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,077 KES 1.0M

-34.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$11.55 KES 1,491

214.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$24.37 KES 3,145

64.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$66.4 KES 8,570

20.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$38.37 KES 4,952

131.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$92.4 KES 11.9K

942.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$69.9 KES 9,021

564.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$154 KES 19.8K

939.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$115 KES 14.8K

953.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$389 KES 50.2K

85.25%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Machakos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $92.4 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 85% 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 $39.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 184% 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 85% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.4 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $453 in Machakos – a 184% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $453 in Machakos versus $1,287 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 $453 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 184% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.