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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,376 in Niamey versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,812 in Niamey versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,248 in Niamey versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Niamey is roughly 9% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Niamey is 3% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.40 F CFA 3,068

$11.72 MX$203

-53.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.45 F CFA 22.4K

$41.89 MX$725

-5.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 F CFA 5,903

$10.51 MX$182

-1.05%

Cappuccino

$3.17 F CFA 1,798

$3.59 MX$62.0

-11.70%

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

$1.45 F CFA 825

$1.51 MX$26.10

-3.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 F CFA 366

$0.92 MX$15.83

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 F CFA 739

$2.96 MX$51.2

-56.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 F CFA 1,772

$4.41 MX$76.3

-29.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 F CFA 1,391

$1.40 MX$24.16

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 F CFA 323

$1.88 MX$32.60

-69.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 F CFA 717

$1.56 MX$26.97

-19.23%

Eggs

$2.39 F CFA 1,356

$2.61 MX$45.14

-8.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 F CFA 4,276

$8.35 MX$145

-9.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.80 F CFA 4,431

$10.86 MX$188

-28.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 F CFA 2,433

$2.71 MX$46.93

58.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 F CFA 844

$1.51 MX$26.04

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 F CFA 1,687

$1.87 MX$32.41

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 F CFA 1,150

$2.19 MX$37.89

-7.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 F CFA 843

$1.86 MX$32.14

-20.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 F CFA 417

$2.23 MX$38.59

-67.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 F CFA 507

$1.07 MX$18.48

-16.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 F CFA 780

$1.09 MX$18.79

25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 F CFA 1,525

$4.19 MX$72.4

-35.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 F CFA 7,910

$10.43 MX$180

33.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 F CFA 790

$1.66 MX$28.68

-16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 F CFA 1,269

$2.61 MX$45.19

-14.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 F CFA 361

$0.54 MX$9.37

18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.36 F CFA 15.0K

$26.16 MX$453

0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 F CFA 261

$3.08 MX$53.3

-85.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 F CFA 236

$2.40 MX$41.61

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 F CFA 3,430

$3.13 MX$54.1

92.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 F CFA 540

$1.31 MX$22.69

-27.48%

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

$20.8K F CFA 11.8M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-30.16%

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

$24.6K F CFA 14.0M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

5.48%

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

$351 F CFA 199.0K

$81.3 MX$1,406

331.32%

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

$17.99 F CFA 10.2K

$22.56 MX$390

-20.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.08 F CFA 5,153

$30.05 MX$520

-69.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.5 F CFA 35.5K

$52.9 MX$915

18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 F CFA 4,887

$18.39 MX$318

-53.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 F CFA 2,679

$4.92 MX$85.1

-4.07%

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

$1,011 F CFA 574.0K

$201 MX$3,474

403.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,827 F CFA 2.7M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-6.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.68 F CFA 24.8K

$35.92 MX$622

21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 F CFA 30.5K

$40.13 MX$694

33.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.15 F CFA 22.8K

$79.7 MX$1,379

-49.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.11 F CFA 27.9K

$86.5 MX$1,496

-43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 F CFA 552.7K

$978 MX$16.9K

-0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 F CFA 254.2K

$470 MX$8,140

-4.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$876 F CFA 497.5K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 F CFA 258.2K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-62.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,721 F CFA 977.3K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$975 F CFA 553.7K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-85.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 F CFA 218.8K

$677 MX$11.7K

-43.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-3.68%

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

Last update for Niamey: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $974 in Niamey and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Niamey vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $252 per month, with Niamey 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Niamey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 76% 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: $974 in Niamey versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $39.00 in Niamey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,376 per month in Niamey versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,376 in Niamey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Niamey. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Niamey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.