Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zimba

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimba: $129 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Zimba

🇿🇲 Zambia

$129

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $129 in Zimba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Zimba $129

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $202 in Zimba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Zimba $202

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $275 in Zimba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Zimba $275

Playa del Carmen costs about 832% more than Zimba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zimba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Zimba 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$2.99 ZMW 60.4

294.31%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

$1.44 ZMW 29.05

163.19%

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$0.76 ZMW 15.35

71.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$0.36 ZMW 7.28

130.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$0.72 ZMW 14.63

337.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.01 ZMW 20.49

388.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$1.03 ZMW 20.74

113.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

$1.50 ZMW 30.40

-2.00%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$1.31 ZMW 26.53

90.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$3.38 ZMW 68.3

280.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$1.77 ZMW 35.77

63.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$1.50 ZMW 30.22

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

$2.94 ZMW 59.4

-15.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$0.73 ZMW 14.71

178.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

$0.77 ZMW 15.63

146.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$0.86 ZMW 17.39

32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$0.47 ZMW 9.52

163.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$5.76 ZMW 117

70.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$0.71 ZMW 14.44

123.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$1.04 ZMW 20.98

164.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

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

$23.19 MX$435

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

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

$207 MX$3,889

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zimba: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Zimba

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Zimba

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Zimba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Zimba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Zimba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Zimba

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Zimba

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇿🇲 Zimba

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

14:53 2:53 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 20.21 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.95 USD). 1 EUR = 22.7 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zimba 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zimba

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 Zimba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 832%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $194 in Zimba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $129 in Zimba. That makes Zimba about 89% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 178% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Zimba, where all-in costs run around $129, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Zimba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $129 in Zimba to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.