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 $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $751 in Ndola, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,768 in Ndola, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,784 in Ndola, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 72% more than Ndola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ndola are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ndola 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$5.75 ZMW 110

103.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$31.73 ZMW 608

46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.13 ZMW 98.2

127.10%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$2.89 ZMW 55.4

41.52%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$0.56 ZMW 10.63

144.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$0.25 ZMW 4.75

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$1.29 ZMW 24.64

159.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.35 ZMW 45.02

194.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.74 ZMW 33.29

-0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.19 ZMW 22.76

89.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$2.14 ZMW 41.01

-17.29%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$1.65 ZMW 31.56

65.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.73 ZMW 205

-14.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$6.47 ZMW 124

37.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$6.81 ZMW 130

85.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$1.59 ZMW 30.49

89.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$2.51 ZMW 48.00

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$3.76 ZMW 72.0

-43.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$1.65 ZMW 31.61

36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$2.61 ZMW 49.89

-23.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$1.95 ZMW 37.32

5.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.16 ZMW 22.22

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.66 ZMW 12.54

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$3.12 ZMW 59.7

48.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$10.45 ZMW 200

2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$1.52 ZMW 29.17

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.42 ZMW 46.43

19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$0.75 ZMW 14.41

-24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$2.60 ZMW 49.81

109.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$1.56 ZMW 29.85

137.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$5.22 ZMW 99.9

14.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$1.47 ZMW 28.20

5.44%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$7,874 ZMW 150.8K

183.58%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$27.2K ZMW 520.4K

-4.51%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$84.6 ZMW 1,620

5.37%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$10.89 ZMW 209

129.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$57.9 ZMW 1,109

-45.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$6.17 ZMW 118

-18.15%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$143 ZMW 2,732

57.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$16.7K ZMW 320.4K

-74.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$24.07 ZMW 461

97.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$16.45 ZMW 315

173.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$47.47 ZMW 909

72.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$75.9 ZMW 1,453

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$181 ZMW 3,474

489.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$157 ZMW 3,009

157.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$388 ZMW 7,439

398.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,519 ZMW 29.1K

-14.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$591 ZMW 11.3K

26.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-60.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ndola: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $181 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 27% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Ndola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $233 – 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 72%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,127 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $32.00 in Ndola. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 $751, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. 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.