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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Naivasha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $841 in Naivasha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,165 in Naivasha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 153% more expensive than in Naivasha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Naivasha 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.84 KES 497

211.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$35.32 KES 4,567

34.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.14 KES 794

91.37%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.74 KES 354

50.36%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.59 KES 76.4

137.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.52 KES 67.4

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.39 KES 309

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.71 KES 351

160.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.90 KES 117

86.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.57 KES 73.8

277.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.86 KES 241

-4.84%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.65 KES 213

70.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.28 KES 1,329

-10.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.32 KES 817

46.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.30 KES 815

100.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.38 KES 438

-12.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.00 KES 129

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.96 KES 254

13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.12 KES 144

110.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.10 KES 143

80.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.09 KES 141

81.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.72 KES 93.4

72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.73 KES 94.8

65.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.52 KES 455

30.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.39 KES 1,473

-7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$2.32 KES 300

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.87 KES 372

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.51 KES 195

247.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.58 KES 204

131.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$2.85 KES 368

102.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.52 KES 196

1.32%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

13.04%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

29.79%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$59.8 KES 7,734

51.60%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$15.27 KES 1,975

64.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$35.71 KES 4,618

-11.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.53 KES 974

-35.46%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$240 KES 31.0K

-5.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$11.6K KES 1.5M

-63.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$26.97 KES 3,487

75.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$25.87 KES 3,345

67.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$64.4 KES 8,320

24.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$59.4 KES 7,680

53.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$776 KES 100.4K

421.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.71

-22.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Naivasha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 153% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $775 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.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $240 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 $35.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $517 in Naivasha versus $1,305 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 153% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.