Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aba and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $402 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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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Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$402

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $402 per month in Aba vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aba $402
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $653 per month in Aba vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aba $653
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $904 per month in Aba vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aba $904
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Aba is about 67% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aba and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Aba 70% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 ₦9,667

$11.78 MX$220

-38.79%

Cappuccino

$0.87 ₦1,172

$3.81 MX$71.0

-77.17%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ₦2,770

$3.17 MX$59.0

-34.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 ₦3,243

$4.93 MX$92.0

-50.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.71 ₦4,968

$1.41 MX$26.22

163.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ₦2,960

$2.22 MX$41.33

-0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 ₦15.1K

$7.26 MX$135

55.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.27 ₦1,700

$12.69 MX$237

-89.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 ₦6,889

$2.78 MX$51.9

84.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 ₦735

$1.37 MX$25.50

-59.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₦4,614

$1.94 MX$36.13

77.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₦1,541

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.16 ₦209

$1.18 MX$21.98

-86.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.45 ₦1,947

$4.30 MX$80.1

-66.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 ₦9,628

$9.95 MX$185

-27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₦1,657

$1.58 MX$29.52

-21.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₦1,922

$2.67 MX$49.79

-46.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.28 ₦12.4K

$26.62 MX$496

-65.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

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

$6,017 ₦8.1M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

-70.88%

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

$7,453 ₦10.0M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-68.24%

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

$113 ₦151.4K

$84.8 MX$1,581

33.21%

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

$2.19 ₦2,941

$23.41 MX$436

-90.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.64 ₦59.8K

$28.66 MX$534

55.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$2.13 ₦2,861

$5.14 MX$95.8

-58.56%

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,047 ₦1.4M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

-73.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$15.04 ₦20.2K

$74.2 MX$1,383

-79.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.61 ₦24.9K

$89.3 MX$1,664

-79.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 ₦181.8K

$980 MX$18.3K

-86.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 ₦594.3K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-74.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 ₦296.8K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-79.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,057 ₦1.4M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-73.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$461 ₦618.2K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-92.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$95.0 ₦127.3K

$735 MX$13.7K

-87.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.80%

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

Last update for Aba: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Aba

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Aba versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Aba

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:03 3:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

6 h behind Aba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,020,900

149,923

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

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).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aba Playa del Carmen 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Aba
Playa del Carmen

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

Aba vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 200%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $603 per month in Aba and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 54% 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.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Aba 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 $402 in Aba to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Aba. 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.