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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $586 in Naivasha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $997 in Naivasha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,408 in Naivasha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 117% more expensive than Naivasha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Naivasha 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.56 KES 721

113.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.24 KES 4,958

12.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.77 KES 878

57.31%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.41 KES 312

43.15%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.70 KES 91.2

114.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.54 KES 69.9

75.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.28 KES 296

32.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.82 KES 366

63.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.88 KES 114

56.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.57 KES 73.6

224.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.61 KES 209

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.71 KES 221

51.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.56 KES 1,500

-28.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.69 KES 867

25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.56 KES 721

91.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.16 KES 410

-16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.04 KES 134

43.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.08 KES 269

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.00 KES 130

109.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.07 KES 139

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.11 KES 144

103.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.69 KES 88.8

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.74 KES 96.2

47.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.06 KES 397

35.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.37 KES 1,474

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.26 KES 293

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.72 KES 353

-4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.59 KES 206

96.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.50 KES 195

67.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.92 KES 379

7.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.57 KES 204

-19.11%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.3K KES 2.8M

42.60%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

16.72%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$34.62 KES 4,489

139.75%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.60 KES 2,152

36.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$39.03 KES 5,061

-24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.27 KES 813

-21.37%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$199 KES 25.8K

-1.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,101 KES 1.1M

-34.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$18.17 KES 2,356

103.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.73 KES 3,077

68.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$65.9 KES 8,547

21.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$57.4 KES 7,446

55.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$117 KES 15.2K

717.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$78.0 KES 10.1K

511.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$236 KES 30.6K

596.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$184 KES 23.8K

566.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$765 KES 99.2K

412.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $117 in Naivasha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Naivasha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $204 per month, with Naivasha 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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Naivasha is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $879 in Naivasha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $117 in Naivasha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $199 in Naivasha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Naivasha – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $586 in Naivasha versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Naivasha but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Naivasha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Naivasha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Naivasha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.