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: $1,352 in Niamey versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,809 in Niamey versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,265 in Niamey versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Niamey is roughly 5% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Niamey is 1% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 F CFA 2,992

$11.94 MX$209

-55.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.67 F CFA 22.3K

$42.75 MX$748

-7.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 F CFA 6,002

$10.59 MX$185

1.04%

Cappuccino

$3.21 F CFA 1,801

$3.62 MX$63.4

-11.33%

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

$1.47 F CFA 822

$1.47 MX$25.69

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 F CFA 357

$0.94 MX$16.51

-31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 F CFA 731

$3.09 MX$54.1

-57.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 F CFA 1,755

$4.46 MX$78.0

-29.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 F CFA 1,418

$1.43 MX$24.94

76.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 F CFA 339

$1.88 MX$32.97

-68.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 F CFA 703

$1.63 MX$28.50

-23.31%

Eggs

$2.39 F CFA 1,342

$2.64 MX$46.26

-9.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 F CFA 4,224

$8.29 MX$145

-9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.09 F CFA 4,540

$11.10 MX$194

-27.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 F CFA 2,547

$2.65 MX$46.40

71.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 F CFA 839

$1.50 MX$26.26

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 F CFA 1,658

$1.99 MX$34.79

48.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 F CFA 1,144

$2.08 MX$36.33

-1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 F CFA 812

$1.79 MX$31.29

-18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 F CFA 383

$2.18 MX$38.09

-68.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 F CFA 512

$1.08 MX$18.84

-15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 744

$1.04 MX$18.15

27.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.63 F CFA 1,473

$3.97 MX$69.5

-33.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 F CFA 5,912

$10.20 MX$179

3.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 F CFA 777

$1.73 MX$30.22

-19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 F CFA 1,225

$2.50 MX$43.71

-12.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 F CFA 333

$0.52 MX$9.07

13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.76 F CFA 15.0K

$26.97 MX$472

-0.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 F CFA 235

$3.14 MX$55.0

-86.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 F CFA 233

$2.40 MX$42.04

-82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.11 F CFA 3,428

$3.09 MX$54.0

97.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 F CFA 548

$1.27 MX$22.28

-22.83%

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

$21.2K F CFA 11.9M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-31.20%

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

$24.2K F CFA 13.6M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

3.86%

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

$359 F CFA 201.1K

$82.0 MX$1,435

337.17%

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

$17.44 F CFA 9,780

$22.45 MX$393

-22.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.98 F CFA 5,037

$29.66 MX$519

-69.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 F CFA 35.2K

$51.9 MX$908

20.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.72 F CFA 4,893

$18.67 MX$327

-53.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 F CFA 2,775

$4.97 MX$87.0

-0.40%

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

$1,008 F CFA 565.6K

$198 MX$3,462

409.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,894 F CFA 2.7M

$5,273 MX$92.3K

-7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.58 F CFA 24.4K

$36.34 MX$636

19.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 F CFA 30.1K

$40.05 MX$701

33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.26 F CFA 22.6K

$79.9 MX$1,398

-49.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.46 F CFA 27.7K

$88.9 MX$1,555

-44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 F CFA 536.7K

$963 MX$16.9K

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 F CFA 249.1K

$465 MX$8,133

-4.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 F CFA 499.2K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-44.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 F CFA 256.0K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,777 F CFA 996.6K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-54.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 F CFA 569.4K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-84.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$323 F CFA 181.4K

$720 MX$12.6K

-55.10%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Niamey and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 123% 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 $219 vs $251 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 5% 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 123% 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: $957 in Niamey versus $963 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 $1,352 per month in Niamey versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,352 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 $1,287 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 5% less than in Niamey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.