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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $618 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,060 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,502 in Mombasa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 103% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Mombasa 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$2.35 KES 304

410.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$19.18 KES 2,478

117.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$8.80 KES 1,137

22.16%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$3.18 KES 411

10.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.48 KES 62.4

202.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.48 KES 61.7

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.96 KES 253

50.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.82 KES 364

59.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$0.82 KES 106

74.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.49 KES 63.9

275.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.40 KES 180

12.14%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$1.79 KES 231

40.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$9.71 KES 1,255

-14.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.82 KES 752

44.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$5.22 KES 675

104.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$1.79 KES 231

45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$0.91 KES 117

58.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$1.52 KES 197

28.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$0.79 KES 102

164.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.68 KES 87.5

172.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$1.08 KES 139

100.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.66 KES 85.4

56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.60 KES 78.0

78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$3.30 KES 427

24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$7.95 KES 1,027

27.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.88 KES 242

-10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$2.77 KES 358

-8.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.75 KES 96.4

-32.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$35.08 KES 4,532

-25.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$3.05 KES 394

5.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$1.94 KES 251

24.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$4.58 KES 592

-29.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.60 KES 206

-17.50%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$12.0K KES 1.5M

147.68%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

100.60%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$44.61 KES 5,764

83.84%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$14.45 KES 1,867

58.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$43.55 KES 5,626

-30.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$18.09 KES 2,337

187.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$19.19 KES 2,480

-3.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$4.71 KES 609

5.73%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$87.7 KES 11.3K

125.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$5,406 KES 698.5K

-1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$13.03 KES 1,684

173.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$13.80 KES 1,784

192.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$23.61 KES 3,050

233.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$45.93 KES 5,934

93.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$181 KES 23.4K

423.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$118 KES 15.3K

301.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$590 KES 76.3K

178.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$462 KES 59.7K

162.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$5,440 KES 702.8K

-25.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$3,820 KES 493.6K

69.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$321 KES 41.5K

103.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-12.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $181 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 104% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $169 – 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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $618 in Mombasa – roughly 103% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $928 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $19.00 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $618 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 $618, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $618 in Mombasa to $1,256 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.