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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,049 in Lome versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Lome versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,954 in Lome versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lome costs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 F CFA 1,248

$11.99 MX$209

-81.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.09 F CFA 18.4K

$41.78 MX$728

-23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 F CFA 2,964

$10.75 MX$187

-52.00%

Cappuccino

$5.62 F CFA 3,229

$3.50 MX$60.9

60.57%

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

$3.46 F CFA 1,984

$1.45 MX$25.22

138.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 636

$0.88 MX$15.41

26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 F CFA 493

$2.95 MX$51.3

-70.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 F CFA 1,034

$4.51 MX$78.6

-60.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 F CFA 1,390

$1.43 MX$24.94

69.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 F CFA 751

$1.84 MX$31.99

-28.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

$1.57 MX$27.31

15.29%

Eggs

$2.06 F CFA 1,186

$2.51 MX$43.74

-17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 F CFA 8,128

$8.28 MX$144

71.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 F CFA 4,711

$8.43 MX$147

-2.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 F CFA 5,381

$10.68 MX$186

-12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 F CFA 1,532

$2.61 MX$45.43

2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 F CFA 819

$1.44 MX$25.04

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 F CFA 1,506

$1.96 MX$34.16

33.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 F CFA 1,447

$2.09 MX$36.47

20.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 F CFA 1,033

$1.85 MX$32.24

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 1,004

$2.17 MX$37.74

-19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 F CFA 313

$1.03 MX$17.96

-46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 497

$1.07 MX$18.70

-18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 F CFA 821

$4.10 MX$71.4

-65.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 F CFA 2,676

$10.17 MX$177

-54.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 F CFA 794

$1.68 MX$29.17

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 F CFA 901

$2.53 MX$43.98

-37.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 F CFA 194

$0.51 MX$8.87

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 F CFA 30.9K

$26.04 MX$453

106.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 F CFA 1,173

$3.23 MX$56.3

-36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 F CFA 421

$2.41 MX$41.88

-69.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 F CFA 3,008

$3.23 MX$56.2

62.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 F CFA 720

$1.32 MX$23.00

-5.30%

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

$14.1K F CFA 8.1M

$29.7K MX$517.1K

-52.49%

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

$25.8K F CFA 14.8M

$23.7K MX$412.0K

9.04%

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

$178 F CFA 102.4K

$82.0 MX$1,428

117.50%

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

$21.67 F CFA 12.4K

$22.95 MX$400

-5.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.41 F CFA 24.9K

$30.11 MX$524

44.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

$52.0 MX$905

-5.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.73 F CFA 5,013

$18.53 MX$323

-52.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 F CFA 2,465

$4.98 MX$86.6

-13.86%

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

$173 F CFA 99.3K

$197 MX$3,438

-12.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,151 F CFA 3.0M

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-3.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 F CFA 14.2K

$35.60 MX$620

-30.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 F CFA 15.7K

$40.33 MX$702

-32.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.82 F CFA 23.4K

$78.8 MX$1,371

-48.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 F CFA 55.2K

$88.9 MX$1,549

8.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 F CFA 208.6K

$947 MX$16.5K

-61.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 F CFA 126.6K

$474 MX$8,254

-53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 F CFA 434.6K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-53.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 F CFA 173.4K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-75.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 F CFA 149.9K

$654 MX$11.4K

-60.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-29.95%

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

Last update for Lome: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Lome and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 151% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Lome vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $249, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 151% 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: $363 in Lome versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Lome versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,049 in Lome versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,049 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.