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: $1,373 in Niamey versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Niamey versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,121 in Niamey versus $3,292 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 0% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 F CFA 3,854

$11.60 MX$200

-41.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.28 F CFA 22.4K

$47.11 MX$811

-16.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 F CFA 5,617

$11.88 MX$205

-17.17%

Cappuccino

$3.27 F CFA 1,868

$3.98 MX$68.5

-17.84%

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

$1.48 F CFA 846

$1.43 MX$24.57

3.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 F CFA 588

$0.82 MX$14.20

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 F CFA 739

$3.19 MX$54.9

-59.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 F CFA 1,727

$6.79 MX$117

-55.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 F CFA 1,375

$1.68 MX$28.85

43.45%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 F CFA 313

$2.20 MX$37.83

-75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 992

$1.71 MX$29.41

1.75%

Eggs

$2.27 F CFA 1,295

$2.74 MX$47.20

-17.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.98 F CFA 3,413

$9.01 MX$155

-33.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.12 F CFA 4,636

$12.81 MX$221

-36.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 F CFA 1,981

$2.89 MX$49.74

20.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 F CFA 916

$1.50 MX$25.78

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 F CFA 1,703

$2.15 MX$36.98

38.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 957

$2.26 MX$38.91

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 F CFA 862

$1.98 MX$34.10

-23.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 F CFA 419

$1.99 MX$34.26

-63.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 F CFA 514

$1.23 MX$21.25

-26.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 F CFA 619

$1.20 MX$20.60

-9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 F CFA 1,487

$4.55 MX$78.3

-42.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 F CFA 8,054

$10.37 MX$179

36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 F CFA 813

$1.62 MX$27.88

-11.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 F CFA 2,022

$2.88 MX$49.60

22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 F CFA 191

$0.60 MX$10.34

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 F CFA 257

$5.39 MX$92.8

-91.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 F CFA 192

$3.73 MX$64.2

-90.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.93 F CFA 5,096

$5.77 MX$99.3

54.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 F CFA 565

$1.54 MX$26.45

-35.71%

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

$21.4K F CFA 12.2M

$22.5K MX$388.3K

-5.26%

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

$24.3K F CFA 13.9M

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-6.77%

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

$179 F CFA 102.0K

$91.4 MX$1,573

95.61%

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

$17.68 F CFA 10.1K

$25.20 MX$434

-29.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.1 F CFA 49.7K

$31.24 MX$538

178.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 F CFA 42.7K

$67.2 MX$1,157

11.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 F CFA 3,046

$4.86 MX$83.7

9.88%

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

$1,055 F CFA 601.9K

$224 MX$3,851

371.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,323 F CFA 2.5M

$4,229 MX$72.8K

2.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 F CFA 39.8K

$47.10 MX$811

48.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.8 F CFA 50.7K

$44.29 MX$763

100.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.5 F CFA 30.0K

$80.1 MX$1,379

-34.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 F CFA 40.8K

$92.7 MX$1,596

-22.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$962 F CFA 549.0K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 F CFA 301.6K

$390 MX$6,719

35.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 F CFA 475.2K

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-61.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 F CFA 241.9K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,782 F CFA 1.0M

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-55.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$997 F CFA 569.1K

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-84.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$396 F CFA 225.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

-47.84%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $962 in Niamey and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 92% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $276 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 92% 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: $962 in Niamey versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Niamey pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,373 per month in Niamey versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 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 $1,266 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.