Cost of Living Comparison Between Abidjan and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Abidjan and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Abidjan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Abidjan versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,023 in Abidjan versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Abidjan is roughly 7% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abidjan is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 F CFA 2,015

$11.99 MX$210

-70.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 F CFA 30.2K

$41.78 MX$731

26.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 F CFA 6,106

$10.75 MX$188

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$1.90 F CFA 1,086

$3.50 MX$61.1

-45.71%

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

$0.80 F CFA 458

$1.45 MX$25.33

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 492

$0.88 MX$15.47

-2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 F CFA 601

$2.95 MX$51.6

-64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 F CFA 994

$4.51 MX$78.9

-61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 F CFA 1,377

$1.43 MX$25.04

67.83%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 F CFA 335

$1.84 MX$32.13

-67.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 F CFA 747

$1.57 MX$27.42

-17.20%

Eggs

$2.28 F CFA 1,304

$2.51 MX$43.92

-9.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.01 F CFA 13.2K

$8.28 MX$145

177.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 F CFA 4,799

$8.43 MX$147

-0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.07 F CFA 3,479

$10.68 MX$187

-43.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 F CFA 2,215

$2.61 MX$45.62

48.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 F CFA 623

$1.44 MX$25.15

-24.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 F CFA 1,260

$1.96 MX$34.31

12.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 F CFA 1,125

$2.09 MX$36.62

-6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 963

$1.85 MX$32.37

-9.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 994

$2.17 MX$37.90

-19.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 F CFA 497

$1.03 MX$18.04

-15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 490

$1.07 MX$18.78

-19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 F CFA 1,029

$4.10 MX$71.7

-56.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 F CFA 3,520

$10.17 MX$178

-39.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 F CFA 577

$1.68 MX$29.29

-39.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 F CFA 815

$2.53 MX$44.17

-43.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 F CFA 569

$0.51 MX$8.90

94.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.00 F CFA 27.5K

$26.04 MX$455

84.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 F CFA 982

$3.23 MX$56.5

-47.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 F CFA 912

$2.41 MX$42.06

-34.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.42 F CFA 15.1K

$3.23 MX$56.5

717.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 F CFA 885

$1.32 MX$23.10

17.42%

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

$32.4K F CFA 18.6M

$29.7K MX$519.2K

9.04%

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

$30.3K F CFA 17.3M

$23.7K MX$413.7K

27.95%

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

$187 F CFA 106.9K

$82.0 MX$1,434

127.44%

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

$35.90 F CFA 20.6K

$22.95 MX$401

56.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.13 F CFA 26.4K

$30.11 MX$527

53.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 F CFA 44.7K

$52.0 MX$909

50.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 F CFA 12.7K

$18.53 MX$324

20.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 F CFA 4,953

$4.98 MX$87.0

73.49%

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

$291 F CFA 166.7K

$197 MX$3,452

47.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,340 F CFA 1.9M

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-37.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 F CFA 51.8K

$35.60 MX$622

154.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 F CFA 32.6K

$40.33 MX$705

41.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 F CFA 48.2K

$78.8 MX$1,377

6.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 F CFA 79.1K

$88.9 MX$1,555

55.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 F CFA 351.8K

$947 MX$16.6K

-35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 F CFA 220.9K

$474 MX$8,288

-18.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,843 F CFA 1.1M

$1,644 MX$28.7K

12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 F CFA 544.5K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-21.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,294 F CFA 1.3M

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-43.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 F CFA 396.3K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-89.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$221 F CFA 126.6K

$654 MX$11.4K

-66.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.75

11.42

29.16%

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

Last update for Abidjan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Abidjan and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 196% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Abidjan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 196% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $614 in Abidjan versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $53.0 in Abidjan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,344 per month in Abidjan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,344 in Abidjan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Abidjan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Abidjan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Abidjan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.