Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Windhoek

For one person, living costs are similar in Playa del Carmen and in Windhoek: $1,204 and $1,182 a month, rent and utilities included.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Windhoek, Namibia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Windhoek
🇳🇦 Namibia
$1,182
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Windhoek

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 Windhoek actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,182 in Windhoek, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Windhoek $1,182

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,028 in Windhoek, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Windhoek $2,028

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,875 in Windhoek, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Windhoek $2,875

Playa del Carmen costs about 2% more than Windhoek, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Windhoek are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Windhoek 13% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$11.47 NAD 191
-4.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$64.4 NAD 1,073
-32.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$6.05 NAD 101
94.71%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$2.28 NAD 37.99
67.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$0.86 NAD 14.38
48.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$0.92 NAD 15.38
-15.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$1.92 NAD 32.05
65.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$2.09 NAD 34.79
135.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.57 NAD 26.23
-10.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$0.88 NAD 14.69
152.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$1.96 NAD 32.59
-27.55%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$3.14 NAD 52.3
-19.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$9.44 NAD 157
-23.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$6.87 NAD 115
12.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$7.66 NAD 128
65.67%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$2.14 NAD 35.71
29.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.98 NAD 32.97
-30.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$1.79 NAD 29.80
42.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$1.99 NAD 33.10
6.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$1.94 NAD 32.30
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.80 NAD 29.93
5.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$1.96 NAD 32.69
-41.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$1.07 NAD 17.76
10.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$3.35 NAD 55.8
28.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$6.48 NAD 108
53.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$1.43 NAD 23.85
10.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$1.38 NAD 23.07
93.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$0.80 NAD 13.26
-31.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$48.86 NAD 814
-45.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$0.75 NAD 12.55
562.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$0.94 NAD 15.68
254.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$15.38 NAD 256
-65.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.40 NAD 23.31
2.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$24.6K NAD 409.1K
-15.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$31.7K NAD 527.8K
-25.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$138 NAD 2,307
-38.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$26.65 NAD 444
-12.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$49.49 NAD 825
-42.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$36.77 NAD 613
55.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$10.40 NAD 173
177.98%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$5.29 NAD 88.1
-2.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$210 NAD 3,507
-1.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$5,340 NAD 89.0K
-26.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$54.2 NAD 903
-19.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$34.80 NAD 580
19.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$88.4 NAD 1,473
-16.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$94.4 NAD 1,573
-5.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$502 NAD 8,362
95.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$358 NAD 5,970
6.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,456 NAD 24.3K
17.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$974 NAD 16.2K
10.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$1,617 NAD 26.9K
143.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$608 NAD 10.1K
912.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Windhoek
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$997 NAD 16.6K
-26.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
11.42
0.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Windhoek
$358 5.9% $23
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Windhoek
$223 12.4% $32
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Windhoek
$158 21.8% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Windhoek
$215 56.8% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Windhoek
$122 9.5% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Windhoek
$47 29.7% $20
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Windhoek
$58 14% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $502 in Windhoek. 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 36% higher in Windhoek, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $64 in Windhoek. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $223 in Windhoek – so Windhoek wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇳🇦 Windhoek
🕒 Local time
13:50 1:50 PM
20:50 8:50 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
322,500 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 NAD (100 NAD = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 NAD (100 NAD = 5.39 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Windhoek 12,260 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Windhoek

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 Windhoek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windhoek cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,772 in Windhoek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Windhoek, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Windhoek?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,182 in Windhoek. That’s a gap of about 2%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 46% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Playa del Carmen or in Windhoek?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,182 in Windhoek. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Windhoek?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,182 in Windhoek to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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