Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maiduguri and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $170 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$170

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $170 in Maiduguri versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Maiduguri $170
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $284 in Maiduguri versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Maiduguri $284
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $398 in Maiduguri versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Maiduguri $398
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Maiduguri costs roughly 86% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maiduguri 87% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.51 ₦673

$10.86 MX$201

-95.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.83 ₦2,433

$11.76 MX$217

-84.44%

Cappuccino

$0.89 ₦1,178

$3.68 MX$68.0

-75.82%

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

$0.27 ₦361

$1.34 MX$24.79

-79.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 ₦249

$0.82 MX$15.24

-76.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 ₦1,368

$2.22 MX$40.95

-53.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 ₦2,598

$1.48 MX$27.32

31.76%

Eggs

$1.75 ₦2,326

$2.49 MX$45.99

-29.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.90 ₦6,515

$7.96 MX$147

-38.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.04 ₦5,375

$12.57 MX$232

-67.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 ₦5,430

$2.78 MX$51.3

46.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 ₦1,291

$2.14 MX$39.49

-54.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 ₦1,973

$2.02 MX$37.38

-26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ₦1,349

$1.99 MX$36.74

-49.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ₦514

$1.14 MX$21.01

-65.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₦417

$1.20 MX$22.18

-74.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₦485

$0.53 MX$9.73

-32.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.25 ₦331

$1.45 MX$26.76

-82.76%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$7.92 ₦10.5K

$23.46 MX$434

-66.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₦10.5K

$28.68 MX$530

-72.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.38 ₦27.1K

$44.39 MX$820

-54.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.88 ₦23.8K

$41.35 MX$764

-56.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.37 ₦33.7K

$72.7 MX$1,344

-65.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.82 ₦33.0K

$89.6 MX$1,656

-72.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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 Maiduguri: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Groceries & Markets

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Eating Out

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Getting Around

Maiduguri

–

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Good to know

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

6 h behind Maiduguri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,497

149,923

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maiduguri Playa del Carmen 10,580 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Maiduguri
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

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

Maiduguri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 609% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $255 in Maiduguri and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 162% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $170 per month in Maiduguri versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 609% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $170 in Maiduguri versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maiduguri is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Maiduguri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 609% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.