Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $897 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
Learn more

Cotonou Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cotonou 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 Cotonou and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $897 in Cotonou versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Cotonou $897
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Cotonou versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Cotonou $1,428
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Cotonou versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Cotonou $1,958
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Cotonou costs roughly 26% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotonou 34% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 3,050

$10.92 MX$204

-52.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

$43.37 MX$808

-17.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 F CFA 5,527

$11.78 MX$220

-20.29%

Cappuccino

$5.25 F CFA 3,093

$3.81 MX$71.0

37.80%

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

$1.00 F CFA 590

$1.28 MX$23.90

-21.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 523

$0.78 MX$14.59

14.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 F CFA 511

$3.17 MX$59.0

-72.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 F CFA 1,525

$4.93 MX$92.0

-47.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 F CFA 1,824

$1.41 MX$26.22

119.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 F CFA 725

$2.22 MX$41.33

-44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,108

$1.42 MX$26.42

32.39%

Eggs

$2.74 F CFA 1,614

$2.52 MX$47.03

8.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 F CFA 5,449

$7.26 MX$135

27.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 F CFA 3,196

$7.70 MX$143

-29.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,966

$12.69 MX$237

-60.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 F CFA 2,351

$2.78 MX$51.9

43.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 F CFA 1,046

$1.37 MX$25.50

29.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 781

$2.55 MX$47.55

-47.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,595

$2.12 MX$39.58

27.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 F CFA 746

$1.94 MX$36.13

-34.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 989

$1.89 MX$35.16

-11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 F CFA 253

$1.15 MX$21.37

-62.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 F CFA 672

$1.18 MX$21.98

-3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 F CFA 1,982

$4.30 MX$80.1

-21.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,530

$9.95 MX$185

-56.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 690

$1.58 MX$29.52

-25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 F CFA 1,094

$2.67 MX$49.79

-30.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 766

$0.55 MX$10.31

136.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 F CFA 810

$4.97 MX$92.6

-72.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 F CFA 778

$3.33 MX$62.1

-60.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 F CFA 696

$1.44 MX$26.92

-18.06%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

0.19%

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

$145 F CFA 85.3K

$84.8 MX$1,581

70.83%

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

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

$23.41 MX$436

43.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.06 F CFA 28.9K

$28.66 MX$534

71.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-16.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.36 F CFA 1,978

$28.91 MX$539

-88.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 F CFA 5,055

$5.14 MX$95.8

66.93%

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

$131 F CFA 77.1K

$207 MX$3,851

-36.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

41.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 F CFA 15.0K

$43.35 MX$808

-41.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.44 F CFA 19.7K

$74.2 MX$1,383

-54.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 40.0K

$89.3 MX$1,664

-23.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 103.6K

$980 MX$18.3K

-82.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 F CFA 95.9K

$381 MX$7,099

-57.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 353.4K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-64.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 F CFA 242.9K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-61.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$251 F CFA 147.5K

$735 MX$13.7K

-65.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-65.07%

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

Last update for Cotonou: 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.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$227 25.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 39.8% $91

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 14.8% $33

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$163 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 134% $218

Eating Out

Cotonou

$150 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 35.2% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$65 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 3.9% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 95.8% $55

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 283% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $176 in Cotonou and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Cotonou vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $255 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:07 3:07 PM

09:07 9:07 AM

6 h behind Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

149,923

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotonou Playa del Carmen 9,710 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
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

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

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Cotonou. 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: $176 in Cotonou versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $897 per month in Cotonou versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $897 in Cotonou versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Cotonou wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.