Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Aba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $402 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Aba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Aba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $402 in Aba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Aba $402

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $653 in Aba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Aba $653

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $904 in Aba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Aba $904

Playa del Carmen costs about 200% more than Aba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Aba 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.21 ₦9,667

63.38%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$0.87 ₦1,172

337.93%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.07 ₦2,770

53.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.42 ₦3,243

103.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$3.71 ₦4,968

-61.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.21 ₦2,960

0.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$11.26 ₦15.1K

-35.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$1.27 ₦1,700

899.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$5.14 ₦6,889

-45.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$0.55 ₦735

149.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$3.44 ₦4,614

-43.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.15 ₦1,541

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.16 ₦209

637.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$1.45 ₦1,947

196.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$7.18 ₦9,628

38.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.24 ₦1,657

27.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.43 ₦1,922

86.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$9.28 ₦12.4K

186.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$6,017 ₦8.1M

243.44%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$7,453 ₦10.0M

214.83%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$113 ₦151.4K

-24.93%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$2.19 ₦2,941

968.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$44.64 ₦59.8K

-35.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$2.13 ₦2,861

141.31%

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$1,047 ₦1.4M

274.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$15.04 ₦20.2K

393.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$18.61 ₦24.9K

379.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$136 ₦181.8K

622.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$443 ₦594.3K

285.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$221 ₦296.8K

385.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,057 ₦1.4M

272.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$461 ₦618.2K

1234.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$95.0 ₦127.3K

673.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Aba

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Aba

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Aba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Aba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Aba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Aba

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Aba

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $136 in Aba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇬 Aba

🕒 Local time

12:47 12:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,020,900

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Aba 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Aba

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 200%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $603 in Aba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $402 in Aba to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Aba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.