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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $722 in Ndola, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,700 in Ndola, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,678 in Ndola, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% more than Ndola, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ndola are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ndola 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$7.10 ZMW 127

65.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$24.46 ZMW 437

70.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.66 ZMW 65.3

190.71%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.94 ZMW 34.61

81.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.38 ZMW 6.70

297.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.17 ZMW 3.09

470.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.94 ZMW 16.76

213.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.84 ZMW 32.88

141.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.24 ZMW 22.15

11.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.79 ZMW 14.08

139.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.57 ZMW 28.09

4.46%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.26 ZMW 22.58

99.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.55 ZMW 135

10.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.95 ZMW 70.5

111.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$4.69 ZMW 83.8

128.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.23 ZMW 21.87

111.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.65 ZMW 29.45

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.78 ZMW 49.57

-31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.17 ZMW 20.94

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.80 ZMW 32.20

-1.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.32 ZMW 23.49

65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.92 ZMW 16.36

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.51 ZMW 9.12

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.50 ZMW 44.66

63.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.85 ZMW 194

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.14 ZMW 20.36

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.56 ZMW 27.88

65.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.55 ZMW 9.90

-7.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.83 ZMW 32.63

78.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$9.44 ZMW 168

-65.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.19 ZMW 21.31

10.08%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$8,120 ZMW 144.9K

272.89%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.0K ZMW 500.4K

-16.42%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$91.8 ZMW 1,638

-9.72%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$36.35 ZMW 649

-38.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$124 ZMW 2,206

-76.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.06 ZMW 72.5

24.88%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$173 ZMW 3,095

15.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$9,711 ZMW 173.3K

-46.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$19.00 ZMW 339

94.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$17.14 ZMW 306

132.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$84.6 ZMW 1,510

-7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$73.2 ZMW 1,307

18.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$126 ZMW 2,253

670.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$109 ZMW 1,953

327.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$266 ZMW 4,753

516.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,481 ZMW 26.4K

-17.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$610 ZMW 10.9K

8.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-54.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ndola: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in Ndola. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 9% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Ndola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $170 – making Ndola the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 80%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,083 in Ndola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ndola, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $24.00 in Ndola. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ndola, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Ndola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ndola – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ndola. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.