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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $637 in Nanyuki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,075 in Nanyuki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,513 in Nanyuki.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 109% more expensive than in Nanyuki, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nanyuki 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$5.39 KES 698

141.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$35.12 KES 4,544

31.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$6.04 KES 781

108.44%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.71 KES 350

47.60%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.62 KES 80.2

129.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.53 KES 68.5

52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.29 KES 296

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.68 KES 347

154.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$0.84 KES 109

103.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.57 KES 73.5

289.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.18 KES 152

45.76%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.65 KES 213

64.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$10.88 KES 1,407

-13.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$6.56 KES 849

35.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$6.13 KES 794

108.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.11 KES 403

0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$0.99 KES 128

56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.97 KES 256

9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.02 KES 132

130.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.06 KES 137

90.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.03 KES 133

93.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.67 KES 86.6

85.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.78 KES 101

52.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.62 KES 339

77.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$11.45 KES 1,482

-8.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$2.22 KES 288

-28.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.70 KES 349

8.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.38 KES 49.06

47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.58 KES 204

236.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.52 KES 197

144.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$2.86 KES 370

102.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.57 KES 204

-1.27%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$18.6K KES 2.4M

20.11%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$19.0K KES 2.5M

34.35%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$57.2 KES 7,406

55.97%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$15.69 KES 2,030

48.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$34.05 KES 4,407

-6.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$45.87 KES 5,935

49.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$7.61 KES 984

-33.51%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$238 KES 30.8K

-6.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$11.0K KES 1.4M

-61.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$27.52 KES 3,561

67.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$25.10 KES 3,247

77.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$62.1 KES 8,031

53.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$60.9 KES 7,879

51.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$75.7 KES 9,800

1311.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$64.4 KES 8,335

510.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$234 KES 30.2K

751.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$194 KES 25.1K

571.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$116 KES 15.0K

542.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

14.71

-21.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Nanyuki: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $75.7 in Nanyuki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 543% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Nanyuki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $200 per month, with Nanyuki 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 Nanyuki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanyuki wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nanyuki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 543% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $75.7 in Nanyuki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $637 in Nanyuki – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $637 in Nanyuki versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nanyuki but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nanyuki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nanyuki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $637 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nanyuki hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nanyuki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.