Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Namwala

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Namwala

🇿🇲 Zambia

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$202

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$826

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.1

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

$1.31 MX$24.16

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.77

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.86

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.57

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.34

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$142

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.19

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.25

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.37

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.86

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.66

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.20

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$50.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$105

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.37

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

$21.2K MX$391.2K

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

$24.5K MX$451.1K

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

$83.6 MX$1,540

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

$24.03 MX$443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$540

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,195

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.7

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

$208 MX$3,825

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$821

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$775

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,391

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,683

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,095

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$115.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$14.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Namwala: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Namwala

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Namwala

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Namwala

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Namwala

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Namwala

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Namwala

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Namwala

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇲 Namwala

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

03:44 3:44 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

15,614

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.04 USD

100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 19.83 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.04 USD). 1 EUR = 22.22 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.5 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Namwala 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Namwala

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 Namwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Namwala 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.

It comes down to priorities – Namwala wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.