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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,698 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,805 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,911 in Abuja.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 25% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Abuja is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.05 ₦2,792

479.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.38 ₦60.3K

-3.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.48 ₦7,458

94.34%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.55 ₦3,470

35.29%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.52 ₦701

188.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.41 ₦561

131.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.11 ₦1,505

172.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.15 ₦1,563

300.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$3.14 ₦4,272

-56.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.26 ₦1,716

46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.46 ₦3,347

-34.55%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.54 ₦2,094

68.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$5.17 ₦7,031

59.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.61 ₦6,270

81.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$3.83 ₦5,207

178.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.05 ₦4,152

-13.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.76 ₦2,388

-15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.17 ₦2,945

-11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.77 ₦2,402

18.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.06 ₦2,802

-9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.52 ₦3,433

-10.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.57 ₦775

85.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.29 ₦394

275.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.45 ₦3,337

69.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.68 ₦7,720

82.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.06 ₦1,439

62.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.40 ₦1,909

86.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.64 ₦868

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.87 ₦1,183

259.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.02 ₦1,388

146.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.23 ₦5,747

-25.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.84 ₦1,139

51.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$30.68 ₦41.7K

170.53%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.95 ₦14.9K

107.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$40.93 ₦55.6K

-28.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$45.64 ₦62.1K

11.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$10.57 ₦14.4K

73.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$8.46 ₦11.5K

-41.73%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$133 ₦180.8K

48.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,986 ₦2.7M

165.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$30.31 ₦41.2K

21.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$28.98 ₦39.4K

37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$67.6 ₦91.9K

18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$86.1 ₦117.1K

3.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$2,414 ₦3.3M

-60.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$1,175 ₦1.6M

-59.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$5,508 ₦7.5M

-70.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$2,674 ₦3.6M

-54.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$366 ₦497.0K

1667.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$164 ₦222.9K

306.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

22.5

-49.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Abuja: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $2,414 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 307% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Abuja. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $190, with Abuja cheaper for home cooking.

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 Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Abuja differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,698 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 307% more on average, 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,414 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $133 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $44.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,698 in Abuja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.