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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,037 in Ikeja, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,658 in Ikeja, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,280 in Ikeja, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Ikeja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ikeja are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ikeja 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.50 ₦2,041

691.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$32.81 ₦44.6K

30.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.29 ₦7,187

101.32%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.10 ₦2,852

64.29%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.33 ₦453

354.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.20 ₦272

375.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$0.80 ₦1,088

278.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.45 ₦1,972

217.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.19 ₦2,979

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.24 ₦1,685

49.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.26 ₦3,073

-28.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.71 ₦2,320

51.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.22 ₦8,460

32.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.20 ₦5,716

99.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.43 ₦7,380

96.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.49 ₦4,742

-24.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.05 ₦2,782

-27.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.17 ₦2,956

-11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.37 ₦3,227

-11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.29 ₦3,114

-18.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.03 ₦2,763

11.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.02 ₦2,745

-47.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.36 ₦483

202.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.29 ₦1,760

221.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$2.53 ₦3,445

310.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.69 ₦933

149.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$0.90 ₦1,219

190.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.31 ₦428

74.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$9.93 ₦13.5K

171.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.24 ₦1,684

152.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.16 ₦2,936

16.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.60 ₦6,257

-31.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.39 ₦525

225.64%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.1K ₦27.4M

50.89%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.8K ₦28.2M

13.46%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$41.16 ₦56.0K

101.65%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.23 ₦13.9K

121.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.71 ₦45.8K

-12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.48 ₦8,818

-23.92%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$81.9 ₦111.4K

140.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$2,268 ₦3.1M

132.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$19.03 ₦25.9K

93.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$24.91 ₦33.9K

60.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$63.6 ₦86.5K

25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$56.5 ₦76.8K

58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$827 ₦1.1M

15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$615 ₦836.0K

-22.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,930 ₦2.6M

-14.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,198 ₦1.6M

2.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$73.8 ₦100.4K

803.54%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $827 in Ikeja. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 804% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Ikeja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $190 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ikeja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Ikeja, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,555 in Ikeja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ikeja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $33.00 in Ikeja. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ikeja, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Ikeja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ikeja costs $1,037 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ikeja. 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.