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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $619 in Nanyuki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,007 in Nanyuki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,396 in Nanyuki.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nanyuki 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$3.78 KES 489

210.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$31.24 KES 4,043

33.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$6.64 KES 860

56.78%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.88 KES 244

92.02%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$0.75 KES 96.6

94.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.55 KES 70.6

76.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$2.37 KES 306

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$2.84 KES 367

62.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$0.94 KES 121

52.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.53 KES 68.0

258.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.18 KES 153

33.05%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.52 KES 196

73.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$11.47 KES 1,484

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$6.92 KES 895

23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$3.81 KES 493

188.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.15 KES 407

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.08 KES 139

39.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$2.16 KES 280

-11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.05 KES 135

106.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.04 KES 134

79.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.16 KES 151

92.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.64 KES 83.2

68.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.75 KES 97.5

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.67 KES 345

55.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$11.79 KES 1,525

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.89 KES 244

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.97 KES 255

28.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.37 KES 48.12

48.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.59 KES 206

101.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.55 KES 201

58.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$2.96 KES 383

8.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.15 KES 149

14.78%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$21.8K KES 2.8M

38.43%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

14.66%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$34.84 KES 4,508

133.50%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$16.55 KES 2,141

35.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$39.74 KES 5,142

-24.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$53.3 KES 6,892

-3.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$6.16 KES 798

-16.23%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$63.9 KES 8,269

215.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$7,788 KES 1.0M

-31.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$18.60 KES 2,407

91.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$23.95 KES 3,099

68.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$65.3 KES 8,452

20.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$57.3 KES 7,419

51.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$95.7 KES 12.4K

892.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$80.2 KES 10.4K

496.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$327 KES 42.3K

395.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$213 KES 27.6K

473.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$116 KES 15.1K

478.02%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Nanyuki: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $95.7 in Nanyuki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 478% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $31.00 in Nanyuki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $196 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 478% more on average, 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $95.7 in Nanyuki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $619 in Nanyuki – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $619 in Nanyuki versus $1,294 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 $619 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.