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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $593 in Naivasha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $999 in Naivasha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,405 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 4% lower, Naivasha 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$5.31 KES 686

124.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$38.46 KES 4,970

11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.00 KES 904

51.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.44 KES 315

48.36%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.70 KES 90.8

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.50 KES 64.8

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.25 KES 291

37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.95 KES 382

51.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.94 KES 121

52.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.52 KES 67.7

261.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.59 KES 206

2.52%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$1.68 KES 217

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$11.59 KES 1,498

-29.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.79 KES 877

22.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$5.68 KES 734

95.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.17 KES 410

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.05 KES 135

42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$2.10 KES 271

-5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.06 KES 137

96.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.07 KES 138

67.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.17 KES 151

86.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.68 KES 88.3

58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.81 KES 105

28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.15 KES 407

26.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$11.51 KES 1,488

-11.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$2.28 KES 295

-24.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.83 KES 366

-11.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.52 KES 197

106.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.50 KES 193

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$2.86 KES 370

8.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.57 KES 202

-19.11%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$21.8K KES 2.8M

41.49%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

15.50%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$34.07 KES 4,403

140.71%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$16.95 KES 2,191

32.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$39.34 KES 5,084

-24.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.04 KES 781

-17.72%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$200 KES 25.8K

-0.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$8,196 KES 1.1M

-35.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$17.94 KES 2,318

102.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$23.99 KES 3,100

66.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$64.8 KES 8,371

23.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$57.5 KES 7,425

54.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$114 KES 14.8K

743.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$77.6 KES 10.0K

499.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$228 KES 29.5K

599.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$184 KES 23.8K

557.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$757 KES 97.9K

420.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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 Naivasha: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $114 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 $251 vs $207 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 $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $890 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $114 in Naivasha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $200 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 $593 in Naivasha versus $1,287 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.