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: $1,028 in Lome versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,520 in Lome versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,012 in Lome versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lome costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 F CFA 1,219

$11.61 MX$201

-81.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 F CFA 17.8K

$42.75 MX$742

-25.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 F CFA 2,876

$10.60 MX$184

-51.42%

Cappuccino

$5.90 F CFA 3,291

$3.59 MX$62.3

64.35%

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

$3.38 F CFA 1,888

$1.45 MX$25.21

133.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 621

$0.90 MX$15.58

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 F CFA 472

$3.03 MX$52.6

-72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 F CFA 955

$4.56 MX$79.2

-62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 F CFA 1,353

$1.45 MX$25.20

66.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 F CFA 706

$1.83 MX$31.72

-31.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 F CFA 1,031

$1.61 MX$27.92

14.91%

Eggs

$2.06 F CFA 1,148

$2.54 MX$44.05

-18.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 F CFA 7,859

$8.54 MX$148

64.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 F CFA 4,746

$8.47 MX$147

0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 F CFA 4,974

$10.86 MX$189

-17.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 F CFA 1,471

$2.73 MX$47.37

-3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 F CFA 842

$1.49 MX$25.91

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 F CFA 1,504

$1.94 MX$33.73

38.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 F CFA 1,358

$2.16 MX$37.57

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 F CFA 1,007

$1.85 MX$32.05

-2.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 975

$2.19 MX$38.00

-20.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 F CFA 289

$1.07 MX$18.62

-51.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 479

$1.08 MX$18.81

-20.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.38 F CFA 773

$4.06 MX$70.5

-66.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 F CFA 2,699

$10.46 MX$182

-53.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 F CFA 760

$1.65 MX$28.71

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 F CFA 839

$2.55 MX$44.23

-41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 F CFA 190

$0.56 MX$9.65

-39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 F CFA 29.1K

$26.20 MX$455

99.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

$3.14 MX$54.5

-33.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 F CFA 415

$2.37 MX$41.17

-68.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 F CFA 2,941

$3.24 MX$56.2

62.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 F CFA 666

$1.31 MX$22.81

-9.16%

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

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

$30.5K MX$530.2K

-53.68%

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

$25.6K F CFA 14.3M

$23.8K MX$413.6K

7.51%

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

$172 F CFA 96.0K

$83.1 MX$1,443

106.84%

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

$22.30 F CFA 12.4K

$22.15 MX$385

0.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.33 F CFA 24.2K

$29.37 MX$510

47.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.05 F CFA 27.4K

$51.2 MX$889

-4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 F CFA 5,069

$18.69 MX$324

-51.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 F CFA 2,404

$4.89 MX$84.9

-11.86%

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

$178 F CFA 99.5K

$199 MX$3,449

-10.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,148 F CFA 2.9M

$5,207 MX$90.4K

-1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 F CFA 13.7K

$35.93 MX$624

-31.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.17 F CFA 15.2K

$39.39 MX$684

-31.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.81 F CFA 22.8K

$80.3 MX$1,394

-49.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 F CFA 52.6K

$87.6 MX$1,520

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 F CFA 199.9K

$963 MX$16.7K

-62.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 F CFA 123.2K

$482 MX$8,370

-54.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 F CFA 426.4K

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-53.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 F CFA 167.7K

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-74.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 F CFA 147.4K

$726 MX$12.6K

-63.65%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Lome and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 175% 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 in Lome vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $253 per month, with Lome 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

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

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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, Playa del Carmen earns 175% less. 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: $358 in Lome versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Lome versus $199 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Lome versus $1,262 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 $1,028 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.