Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $560 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$560

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $560 in Lome versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Lome $560
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $992 in Lome versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Lome $992
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,424 in Lome versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Lome $1,424
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Lome costs roughly 53% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 59% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.86 F CFA 1,683

$10.92 MX$204

-73.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.57 F CFA 18.0K

$43.37 MX$808

-29.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 F CFA 3,250

$11.78 MX$220

-53.14%

Cappuccino

$5.74 F CFA 3,382

$3.81 MX$71.0

50.66%

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

$4.14 F CFA 2,436

$1.28 MX$23.90

223.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 F CFA 445

$0.78 MX$14.59

-3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 F CFA 527

$3.17 MX$59.0

-71.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 F CFA 1,019

$4.93 MX$92.0

-64.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 F CFA 1,355

$1.41 MX$26.22

63.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 F CFA 764

$2.22 MX$41.33

-41.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 F CFA 874

$1.42 MX$26.42

4.23%

Eggs

$1.96 F CFA 1,156

$2.52 MX$47.03

-22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.49 F CFA 3,230

$12.69 MX$237

-56.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 F CFA 1,787

$2.78 MX$51.9

8.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

$1.37 MX$25.50

26.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 F CFA 1,529

$2.12 MX$39.58

22.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 1,025

$1.94 MX$36.13

-10.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 F CFA 717

$1.89 MX$35.16

-35.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 F CFA 492

$1.18 MX$21.98

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 F CFA 2,769

$9.95 MX$185

-52.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 F CFA 668

$1.58 MX$29.52

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 F CFA 832

$2.67 MX$49.79

-47.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 F CFA 691

$3.33 MX$62.1

-64.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 F CFA 2,560

$5.36 MX$99.8

-18.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 F CFA 707

$1.44 MX$26.92

-16.67%

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 MX$437.4K

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

$146 F CFA 86.1K

$84.8 MX$1,581

72.37%

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

$20.99 F CFA 12.4K

$23.41 MX$436

-10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.24 F CFA 24.9K

$28.66 MX$534

47.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 F CFA 35.4K

$57.1 MX$1,063

5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.71 F CFA 5,127

$28.91 MX$539

-69.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 F CFA 2,540

$5.14 MX$95.8

-16.15%

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 F CFA 708.3K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-29.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 F CFA 173.8K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-72.55%

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)

$295 F CFA 173.8K

$735 MX$13.7K

-59.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Lome: 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

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Lome

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Lome vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $140 vs $255 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇬 Lome

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

13:04 1:04 PM

5 h behind Lome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

837,437 Capital

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 = 656 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

Lome Playa del Carmen 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lome
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

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

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 53% 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 60% lower in Lome. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you’ll spend $560 per month in Lome versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $560 in Lome versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 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 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 – Lome 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.