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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $674 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,121 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,569 in Mombasa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 88% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Mombasa 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$2.27 KES 294

411.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$23.05 KES 2,984

104.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$10.29 KES 1,332

15.45%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.69 KES 478

7.86%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.01 KES 131

41.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.43 KES 55.1

90.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.37 KES 306

34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.27 KES 423

107.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.94 KES 122

78.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.50 KES 64.6

340.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.56 KES 202

9.62%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.75 KES 227

56.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.04 KES 1,429

-13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.50 KES 712

63.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$5.31 KES 688

141.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$2.17 KES 281

33.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.19 KES 154

26.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.85 KES 240

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.64 KES 82.5

253.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.67 KES 87.1

195.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.05 KES 136

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.56 KES 72.9

119.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.43 KES 55.4

179.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$4.55 KES 589

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.52 KES 973

37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.92 KES 248

-15.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.81 KES 364

2.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.80 KES 103

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$38.16 KES 4,940

-24.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$3.12 KES 404

72.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.79 KES 232

108.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$4.73 KES 613

21.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.55 KES 200

-0.65%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

87.09%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$11.7K KES 1.5M

121.96%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$56.0 KES 7,248

63.21%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$13.27 KES 1,718

89.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$33.64 KES 4,354

-7.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$18.32 KES 2,372

266.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$19.23 KES 2,489

51.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$10.61 KES 1,374

-54.19%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$87.8 KES 11.4K

154.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$5,364 KES 694.3K

-21.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$13.27 KES 1,718

254.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$13.59 KES 1,759

225.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$23.09 KES 2,989

246.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$46.00 KES 5,955

101.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$230 KES 29.8K

361.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$154 KES 20.0K

152.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$551 KES 71.3K

289.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$400 KES 51.8K

218.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$5,493 KES 711.1K

-27.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$3,917 KES 507.1K

65.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$315 KES 40.8K

140.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-11.92%

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 Mombasa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $230 in Mombasa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 141% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $175 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $674 in Mombasa – roughly 88% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,010 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $674 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $674 in Mombasa to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.