Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Walvis Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Walvis Bay: $841 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Walvis Bay

🇳🇦 Namibia

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Walvis Bay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Walvis Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $841 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Walvis Bay $841

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $906 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Walvis Bay $906

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $971 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Walvis Bay $971

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Walvis Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Walvis Bay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Walvis Bay 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.96 NAD 148

21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$20.74 NAD 342

113.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.44 NAD 123

58.06%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.13 NAD 35.04

72.77%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.93 NAD 15.29

44.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.72 NAD 11.86

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.63 NAD 26.90

87.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$3.05 NAD 50.2

61.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.61 NAD 26.56

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.88 NAD 14.45

152.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.83 NAD 30.08

-19.13%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.83 NAD 30.16

36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.23 NAD 168

-26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$6.18 NAD 102

28.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.05 NAD 116

78.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$2.22 NAD 36.65

25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.01 NAD 33.09

-28.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.72 NAD 28.38

24.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.47 NAD 40.73

-18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.96 NAD 48.79

-32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.78 NAD 29.40

-35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$1.85 NAD 30.51

441.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$41.68 NAD 687

49.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$65.3 NAD 1,075

-31.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$452 NAD 7,443

-17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Walvis Bay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Walvis Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Walvis Bay

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Walvis Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Walvis Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Walvis Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Walvis Bay

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Walvis Bay

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Walvis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $178 – making Walvis Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇦 Walvis Bay

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

62,096

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Namibian Dollar NAD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 NAD = 6.07 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 NAD (100 NAD = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Walvis Bay 12,020 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Walvis Bay

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 Walvis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,262 in Walvis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $21.00 in Walvis Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Walvis Bay, where all-in costs run around $841, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Walvis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Walvis Bay. 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.