Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Abidjan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Abidjan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,344 in Abidjan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,184 in Abidjan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,023 in Abidjan.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Abidjan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Abidjan is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$3.52 F CFA 2,015

240.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$52.8 F CFA 30.2K

-20.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$10.66 F CFA 6,106

0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$1.90 F CFA 1,086

84.21%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.80 F CFA 458

81.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.86 F CFA 492

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.05 F CFA 601

180.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$1.73 F CFA 994

160.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$2.40 F CFA 1,377

-40.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.59 F CFA 335

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.30 F CFA 747

20.77%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$2.28 F CFA 1,304

10.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$23.01 F CFA 13.2K

-64.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.38 F CFA 4,799

0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$6.07 F CFA 3,479

75.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$3.87 F CFA 2,215

-32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$1.09 F CFA 623

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$2.20 F CFA 1,260

-10.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.96 F CFA 1,125

6.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$1.68 F CFA 963

10.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$1.74 F CFA 994

24.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.87 F CFA 497

18.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.86 F CFA 490

24.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$1.80 F CFA 1,029

127.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$6.14 F CFA 3,520

65.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$1.01 F CFA 577

66.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$1.42 F CFA 815

78.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.99 F CFA 569

-48.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$48.00 F CFA 27.5K

-45.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.71 F CFA 982

88.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$1.59 F CFA 912

51.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$26.42 F CFA 15.1K

-87.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.55 F CFA 885

-14.84%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$32.4K F CFA 18.6M

-8.29%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$30.3K F CFA 17.3M

-21.84%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$187 F CFA 106.9K

-56.03%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$35.90 F CFA 20.6K

-36.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$46.13 F CFA 26.4K

-34.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$78.0 F CFA 44.7K

-33.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$22.25 F CFA 12.7K

-16.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$8.64 F CFA 4,953

-42.36%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$291 F CFA 166.7K

-32.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$3,340 F CFA 1.9M

59.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$90.5 F CFA 51.8K

-60.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$57.0 F CFA 32.6K

-29.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$84.1 F CFA 48.2K

-6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$138 F CFA 79.1K

-35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$614 F CFA 351.8K

54.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$386 F CFA 220.9K

22.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$1,843 F CFA 1.1M

-10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$950 F CFA 544.5K

27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$2,294 F CFA 1.3M

76.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$692 F CFA 396.3K

835.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$221 F CFA 126.6K

195.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.75

-22.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Abidjan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $614 in Abidjan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 196% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $53.0 in Abidjan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $260 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 196% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $614 in Abidjan. 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 $42.00 versus $53.0 in Abidjan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,344 in Abidjan – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,344 in Abidjan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Abidjan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Abidjan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Abidjan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.