Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nampula

For one person, living is cheaper in Nampula: $531 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Nampula, Mozambique
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Nampula
🇲🇿 Mozambique
$531
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Nampula

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Nampula actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $531 in Nampula, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Nampula $531

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $707 in Nampula, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Nampula $707

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $882 in Nampula, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Nampula $882

Playa del Carmen costs about 127% more than Nampula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nampula are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Nampula 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$5.63 MZN 356
93.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
-
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$0.76 MZN 48.20
68.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$0.41 MZN 25.83
90.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$1.54 MZN 97.3
105.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.47 MZN 92.7
-4.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$0.45 MZN 28.38
393.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$1.07 MZN 67.7
32.71%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$1.90 MZN 120
32.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$9.92 MZN 627
-26.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$3.51 MZN 222
119.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$3.80 MZN 241
233.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$3.17 MZN 201
-12.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$3.17 MZN 200
-56.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$2.04 MZN 129
25.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$0.92 MZN 58.2
130.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$1.45 MZN 92.0
33.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$1.69 MZN 107
11.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$0.74 MZN 46.50
55.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$0.89 MZN 56.5
32.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$6.29 MZN 398
58.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$2.33 MZN 147
-32.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$0.18 MZN 11.64
205.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$1.57 MZN 99.3
216.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$2.38 MZN 151
39.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$1.54 MZN 97.4
-6.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$117 MZN 7,399
-27.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$34.16 MZN 2,161
-31.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$125 MZN 7,930
-77.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$944 MZN 59.7K
80.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Nampula
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nampula: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Nampula
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Nampula
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Nampula
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Nampula
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Nampula
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Nampula
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Nampula
–
Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇿 Nampula
🕒 Local time
22:22 10:22 PM
05:22 5:22 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
477,900
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.62 MZN (100 MZN = 1.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Nampula 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Nampula

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Nampula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nampula cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $797 in Nampula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Nampula?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $531 in Nampula. That makes Nampula about 56% cheaper.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Nampula?
Groceries cost about 39% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Nampula?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nampula, where all-in costs run around $531, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Nampula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Nampula?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $531 in Nampula to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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