Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Niamey and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,328 in Niamey, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Niamey outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

64

Cost of Living Index in Niamey
Learn more

Niamey Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Niamey

🇳🇪 Niger

$1,328

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,328 in Niamey versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Niamey $1,328
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,710 in Niamey versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Niamey $1,710
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,092 in Niamey versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Niamey $2,092
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Niamey is roughly 10% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Niamey 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.26 F CFA 3,666

$10.92 MX$203

-42.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.28 F CFA 22.4K

$43.37 MX$805

-11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 F CFA 5,560

$11.78 MX$219

-19.35%

Cappuccino

$3.15 F CFA 1,842

$3.81 MX$70.7

-17.32%

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

$1.40 F CFA 821

$1.28 MX$23.81

9.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 538

$0.78 MX$14.54

17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 F CFA 757

$3.17 MX$58.8

-59.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 F CFA 1,737

$4.93 MX$91.7

-39.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 F CFA 1,415

$1.41 MX$26.12

71.63%

White Bread (500g)

$0.56 F CFA 327

$2.22 MX$41.17

-74.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 982

$1.42 MX$26.32

18.31%

Eggs

$2.11 F CFA 1,237

$2.52 MX$46.85

-16.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 F CFA 3,591

$7.70 MX$143

-20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.88 F CFA 4,612

$12.69 MX$236

-37.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 F CFA 1,945

$2.78 MX$51.7

19.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 F CFA 921

$1.37 MX$25.41

14.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 F CFA 1,639

$2.55 MX$47.37

9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 986

$2.12 MX$39.43

-20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 F CFA 846

$1.94 MX$36.00

-25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.65 F CFA 381

$1.89 MX$35.02

-65.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 F CFA 509

$1.15 MX$21.29

-24.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 F CFA 610

$1.18 MX$21.89

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 F CFA 1,482

$4.30 MX$79.8

-41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 F CFA 7,948

$9.95 MX$185

36.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 F CFA 787

$1.58 MX$29.41

-15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 F CFA 2,009

$2.67 MX$49.60

28.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 F CFA 191

$0.55 MX$10.28

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 F CFA 260

$4.97 MX$92.3

-91.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 F CFA 192

$3.33 MX$61.9

-90.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 F CFA 5,117

$5.36 MX$99.5

63.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 F CFA 561

$1.44 MX$26.82

-33.33%

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

$20.7K F CFA 12.1M

$20.7K MX$383.8K

0.20%

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

$24.1K F CFA 14.1M

$23.5K MX$435.8K

2.62%

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

$168 F CFA 98.4K

$84.8 MX$1,575

98.27%

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

$17.22 F CFA 10.1K

$23.41 MX$435

-26.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.7 F CFA 49.6K

$28.66 MX$532

195.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.2 F CFA 44.1K

$57.1 MX$1,059

31.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 F CFA 2,965

$5.14 MX$95.4

-1.56%

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

$1,032 F CFA 604.5K

$207 MX$3,836

399.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,255 F CFA 2.5M

$3,927 MX$72.9K

8.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.6 F CFA 39.6K

$43.35 MX$805

55.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$84.1 F CFA 49.2K

$41.44 MX$770

102.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 F CFA 29.6K

$74.2 MX$1,378

-31.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 F CFA 40.3K

$89.3 MX$1,657

-22.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 F CFA 549.4K

$980 MX$18.2K

-4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 F CFA 294.2K

$381 MX$7,072

31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$799 F CFA 467.7K

$1,708 MX$31.7K

-53.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 F CFA 247.6K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-60.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,711 F CFA 1.0M

$3,943 MX$73.2K

-56.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$967 F CFA 566.4K

$6,158 MX$114.4K

-84.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 F CFA 225.5K

$735 MX$13.6K

-47.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-21.40%

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

Last update for Niamey: October 25, 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

Niamey

$502 37.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 24.2% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Niamey

$270 20.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 49.3% $133

Groceries & Markets

Niamey

$207 * 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 23% $48

Eating Out

Niamey

$138 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 46.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Niamey

$122 9.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 8.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Niamey

$85 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 21.1% $18

Getting Around

Niamey

$3.4 * 0.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 1388% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $938 in Niamey and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38 in Niamey vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $255 per month, with Niamey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇪 Niamey

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

00:01 12:01 AM

6 h behind Niamey

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,026,848 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 586 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Niamey Playa del Carmen 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Niamey
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

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 48% lower in Niamey. 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: $938 in Niamey versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Niamey pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,328 per month in Niamey versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.