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: $1,047 in Lome versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Lome versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,020 in Lome versus $3,065 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 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 F CFA 1,216

$11.73 MX$203

-81.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 F CFA 17.6K

$41.62 MX$719

-24.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 F CFA 3,036

$10.64 MX$184

-49.44%

Cappuccino

$5.61 F CFA 3,168

$3.52 MX$60.8

59.38%

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

$3.46 F CFA 1,953

$1.51 MX$26.09

129.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 627

$0.97 MX$16.82

14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 F CFA 477

$2.95 MX$51.0

-71.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 F CFA 964

$4.45 MX$77.0

-61.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 F CFA 1,397

$1.38 MX$23.90

79.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 F CFA 748

$1.89 MX$32.69

-29.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 F CFA 1,035

$1.64 MX$28.29

11.59%

Eggs

$2.10 F CFA 1,184

$2.51 MX$43.30

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 F CFA 7,975

$8.34 MX$144

69.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 F CFA 4,748

$8.34 MX$144

0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 F CFA 5,326

$10.73 MX$185

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,530

$2.60 MX$45.00

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 F CFA 845

$1.46 MX$25.18

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

$1.90 MX$32.84

37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 F CFA 1,402

$2.08 MX$35.88

19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 F CFA 1,012

$1.78 MX$30.68

0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 981

$2.19 MX$37.76

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 F CFA 284

$1.04 MX$17.97

-51.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 482

$1.08 MX$18.60

-21.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.44 F CFA 815

$4.08 MX$70.5

-64.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 F CFA 2,748

$10.32 MX$178

-52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 749

$1.71 MX$29.59

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 F CFA 855

$2.58 MX$44.50

-41.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 F CFA 204

$0.51 MX$8.81

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

$26.46 MX$457

101.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,203

$3.26 MX$56.4

-34.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 F CFA 389

$2.49 MX$43.05

-72.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 F CFA 2,938

$3.25 MX$56.1

60.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 F CFA 704

$1.31 MX$22.59

-4.58%

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

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

$30.3K MX$523.2K

-53.57%

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

$26.0K F CFA 14.7M

$23.4K MX$404.9K

10.83%

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

$173 F CFA 97.5K

$82.9 MX$1,432

108.57%

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

$21.89 F CFA 12.4K

$22.22 MX$384

-1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 F CFA 25.0K

$29.34 MX$507

51.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 F CFA 28.0K

$51.6 MX$892

-4.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 F CFA 4,871

$18.32 MX$317

-52.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 F CFA 2,444

$5.07 MX$87.5

-14.60%

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

$177 F CFA 99.9K

$201 MX$3,470

-11.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,103 F CFA 2.9M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-2.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.39 F CFA 13.8K

$36.92 MX$638

-33.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 F CFA 15.4K

$39.79 MX$688

-31.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.14 F CFA 23.8K

$78.5 MX$1,356

-46.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 F CFA 53.0K

$87.1 MX$1,505

7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 F CFA 202.9K

$973 MX$16.8K

-63.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 F CFA 126.2K

$468 MX$8,082

-52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 F CFA 431.8K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 F CFA 169.0K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-75.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 F CFA 150.6K

$664 MX$11.5K

-59.82%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Lome and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 149% 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: $31.00 in Lome vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 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 24% 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 149% 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: $360 in Lome versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Lome versus $201 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 $1,047 in Lome versus $1,297 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 $1,047 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.