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: $1,377 in Niamey versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,820 in Niamey versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,263 in Niamey versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Niamey is roughly 8% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Niamey is 2% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.36 F CFA 3,029

$11.87 MX$204

-54.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.06 F CFA 22.6K

$42.90 MX$736

-6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 F CFA 5,897

$10.65 MX$183

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$3.16 F CFA 1,783

$3.45 MX$59.2

-8.41%

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

$1.50 F CFA 847

$1.50 MX$25.81

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 F CFA 365

$0.95 MX$16.28

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 F CFA 738

$3.03 MX$51.9

-56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 F CFA 1,763

$4.61 MX$79.1

-32.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 F CFA 1,430

$1.38 MX$23.61

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 F CFA 317

$1.85 MX$31.70

-69.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 F CFA 712

$1.61 MX$27.65

-21.74%

Eggs

$2.44 F CFA 1,379

$2.59 MX$44.51

-5.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 F CFA 4,204

$8.37 MX$144

-11.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.84 F CFA 4,426

$10.66 MX$183

-26.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 F CFA 2,478

$2.63 MX$45.12

66.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 F CFA 822

$1.49 MX$25.53

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 F CFA 1,695

$1.92 MX$32.94

56.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 F CFA 1,174

$2.09 MX$35.81

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 F CFA 811

$1.86 MX$31.88

-22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 F CFA 411

$2.26 MX$38.81

-67.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 F CFA 519

$1.06 MX$18.23

-13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 F CFA 745

$1.09 MX$18.67

21.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 F CFA 1,467

$4.15 MX$71.2

-37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 F CFA 8,104

$10.39 MX$178

38.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 F CFA 787

$1.72 MX$29.59

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 F CFA 1,229

$2.61 MX$44.85

-16.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 F CFA 364

$0.54 MX$9.30

18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.39 F CFA 14.9K

$26.94 MX$462

-2.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 F CFA 261

$3.13 MX$53.7

-85.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 F CFA 232

$2.51 MX$43.09

-83.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 F CFA 3,458

$3.15 MX$54.1

94.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 F CFA 538

$1.27 MX$21.88

-25.20%

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

$21.0K F CFA 11.9M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-30.87%

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

$25.0K F CFA 14.1M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

5.97%

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

$357 F CFA 201.8K

$83.0 MX$1,425

330.55%

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

$17.67 F CFA 9,980

$22.71 MX$390

-22.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.96 F CFA 5,062

$29.46 MX$506

-69.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 F CFA 36.0K

$51.0 MX$875

25.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 F CFA 5,129

$18.33 MX$315

-50.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 F CFA 2,717

$4.93 MX$84.5

-2.43%

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

$1,003 F CFA 566.4K

$197 MX$3,386

408.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,926 F CFA 2.8M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-6.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.99 F CFA 25.4K

$36.90 MX$633

21.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.9 F CFA 29.3K

$39.89 MX$685

30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.23 F CFA 22.7K

$80.0 MX$1,373

-49.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.29 F CFA 27.8K

$89.5 MX$1,536

-44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 F CFA 550.6K

$956 MX$16.4K

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 F CFA 251.6K

$477 MX$8,189

-6.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 F CFA 492.5K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-47.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 F CFA 259.4K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,712 F CFA 967.2K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-56.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$986 F CFA 556.6K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-84.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 F CFA 225.0K

$667 MX$11.4K

-40.28%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Niamey and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Niamey vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $250 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 8% 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, Playa del Carmen earns 67% 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: $975 in Niamey versus $956 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 $43.00 versus $40.00 in Niamey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,377 per month in Niamey versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,377 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 $1,271 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 8% less than in Niamey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.