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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 115% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.37 KES 308

394.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$19.29 KES 2,498

115.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.53 KES 1,106

24.74%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.25 KES 421

8.31%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.51 KES 66.3

196.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.47 KES 61.2

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.90 KES 246

55.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.93 KES 380

51.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.81 KES 104

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.53 KES 69.3

256.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.44 KES 187

13.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.73 KES 223

45.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.96 KES 1,291

-16.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.82 KES 754

43.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$5.24 KES 679

104.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.81 KES 234

43.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.93 KES 121

56.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.56 KES 202

21.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.76 KES 98.2

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.71 KES 92.4

150.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.05 KES 136

108.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.67 KES 86.9

55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.57 KES 74.0

89.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.32 KES 430

22.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.90 KES 1,023

30.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.94 KES 252

-11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.73 KES 354

-5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.79 KES 103

-35.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$35.09 KES 4,546

-24.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.02 KES 391

7.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.95 KES 252

27.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$4.61 KES 597

-29.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.60 KES 208

-18.13%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

150.56%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$11.8K KES 1.5M

98.79%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$44.87 KES 5,813

84.69%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$14.07 KES 1,822

57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$44.11 KES 5,715

-33.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$18.18 KES 2,356

183.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$18.95 KES 2,455

-3.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.55 KES 589

11.43%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$87.3 KES 11.3K

129.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,325 KES 689.9K

-2.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$13.39 KES 1,734

175.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$13.83 KES 1,792

187.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$23.61 KES 3,059

232.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$47.29 KES 6,126

84.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$178 KES 23.0K

446.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$115 KES 14.9K

306.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$605 KES 78.4K

171.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$465 KES 60.2K

162.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$5,402 KES 699.9K

-26.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$3,839 KES 497.3K

69.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$318 KES 41.2K

108.99%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 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 109% 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 $170 – 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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 115% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $907 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $604 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 $604, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $604 in Mombasa to $1,297 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.