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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $800 in Ibadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,491 in Ibadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,182 in Ibadan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 57% more expensive than in Ibadan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ibadan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$1.82 ₦2,509

558.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$28.21 ₦38.8K

48.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.42 ₦7,453

98.34%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.00 ₦1,376

250.00%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.29 ₦403

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.17 ₦228

417.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.81 ₦1,115

264.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.26 ₦1,737

257.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.29 ₦3,148

-37.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.15 ₦1,586

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.11 ₦2,898

-25.59%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.76 ₦2,426

42.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$4.27 ₦5,877

93.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.16 ₦5,727

102.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$4.02 ₦5,530

165.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.43 ₦3,338

7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.17 ₦1,605

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.23 ₦1,695

59.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.69 ₦2,319

23.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$2.15 ₦2,963

-13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.51 ₦2,078

43.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.98 ₦1,342

5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.33 ₦448

224.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.26 ₦1,727

225.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$0.94 ₦1,287

981.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.67 ₦924

150.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$0.88 ₦1,207

187.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.32 ₦445

59.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$35.59 ₦49.0K

-26.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.20 ₦1,653

169.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.05 ₦1,438

129.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.68 ₦5,062

-12.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.54 ₦743

144.44%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$9,612 ₦13.2M

208.94%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$14.4K ₦19.8M

64.15%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$21.37 ₦29.4K

283.76%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.64 ₦10.5K

200.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$20.19 ₦27.8K

49.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$30.06 ₦41.3K

72.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$2.58 ₦3,555

93.02%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$49.94 ₦68.7K

295.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,865 ₦2.6M

186.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$18.39 ₦25.3K

93.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$24.84 ₦34.2K

62.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$43.22 ₦59.5K

82.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$30.12 ₦41.4K

195.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$449 ₦617.8K

110.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$423 ₦581.7K

12.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,235 ₦1.7M

33.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,282 ₦1.8M

-5.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$835 ₦1.1M

385.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$29.39 ₦40.4K

21913.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$54.9 ₦75.5K

1091.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.33

-30.07%

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 Ibadan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $449 in Ibadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 1091% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Ibadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $152 per month, with Ibadan 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 Ibadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibadan wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1091% 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 $449 in Ibadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $49.94 in Ibadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Ibadan versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibadan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ibadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $800 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibadan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ibadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.