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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,850 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,012 in Abuja.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 24% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Abuja is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.04 ₦2,812

485.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$44.83 ₦61.7K

-4.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.70 ₦7,846

85.79%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.54 ₦3,501

42.52%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.55 ₦760

167.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.42 ₦573

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.07 ₦1,478

188.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.19 ₦1,639

274.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.03 ₦4,179

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.25 ₦1,725

50.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.51 ₦3,457

-35.06%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.50 ₦2,072

76.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$5.30 ₦7,292

54.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.60 ₦6,335

80.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$3.94 ₦5,429

181.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.07 ₦4,223

-13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.77 ₦2,442

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.19 ₦3,009

-9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.74 ₦2,398

19.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.16 ₦2,967

-17.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.53 ₦3,486

-13.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.61 ₦835

77.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.29 ₦395

258.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.46 ₦3,390

61.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.09 ₦9,760

43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.10 ₦1,518

57.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.43 ₦1,964

74.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.64 ₦883

-18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.91 ₦1,247

245.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.02 ₦1,408

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$4.29 ₦5,901

-27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.77 ₦1,060

64.94%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$30.29 ₦41.7K

170.75%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.91 ₦15.0K

105.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$42.37 ₦58.3K

-30.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$43.96 ₦60.5K

17.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$10.60 ₦14.6K

76.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$8.26 ₦11.4K

-39.83%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$132 ₦181.5K

50.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,979 ₦2.7M

166.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$29.71 ₦40.9K

22.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$29.33 ₦40.4K

36.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$68.0 ₦93.7K

17.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$85.3 ₦117.4K

4.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$2,487 ₦3.4M

-61.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$1,147 ₦1.6M

-59.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$5,558 ₦7.7M

-71.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$2,731 ₦3.8M

-55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,141 ₦1.6M

245.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,125 ₦1.5M

473.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$285 ₦392.1K

152.97%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Abuja: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $2,487 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 153% 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 $45.00 in Abuja. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $193, 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,687 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 153% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,487 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $132 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 $45.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 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 31% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.