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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,049 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,501 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,954 in Lome.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 20% more expensive than in Lome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lome 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$2.17 F CFA 1,248

452.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$32.09 F CFA 18.4K

30.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.16 F CFA 2,964

108.33%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$5.62 F CFA 3,229

-37.72%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$3.46 F CFA 1,984

-58.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.11 F CFA 636

-20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$0.86 F CFA 493

243.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.80 F CFA 1,034

150.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.42 F CFA 1,390

-40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.31 F CFA 751

40.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

-13.26%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.06 F CFA 1,186

21.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$14.16 F CFA 8,128

-41.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.21 F CFA 4,711

2.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$9.37 F CFA 5,381

13.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.67 F CFA 1,532

-2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.43 F CFA 819

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.62 F CFA 1,506

-25.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.52 F CFA 1,447

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.80 F CFA 1,033

2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.75 F CFA 1,004

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.55 F CFA 313

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.87 F CFA 497

22.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.43 F CFA 821

186.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.66 F CFA 2,676

118.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.38 F CFA 794

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.57 F CFA 901

61.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.34 F CFA 194

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$53.9 F CFA 30.9K

-51.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.04 F CFA 1,173

58.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.73 F CFA 421

230.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.24 F CFA 3,008

-38.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.25 F CFA 720

5.60%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$14.1K F CFA 8.1M

110.50%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.8K F CFA 14.8M

-8.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$178 F CFA 102.4K

-54.02%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$21.67 F CFA 12.4K

5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$43.41 F CFA 24.9K

-30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$8.73 F CFA 5,013

112.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.29 F CFA 2,465

16.08%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$173 F CFA 99.3K

14.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,151 F CFA 3.0M

3.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$24.78 F CFA 14.2K

43.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$27.41 F CFA 15.7K

47.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$40.82 F CFA 23.4K

92.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$96.1 F CFA 55.2K

-7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$363 F CFA 208.6K

160.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$221 F CFA 126.6K

114.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$757 F CFA 434.6K

117.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$302 F CFA 173.4K

300.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$261 F CFA 149.9K

150.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

42.75%

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 Lome: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $363 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 151% 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 $32.00 in Lome. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $250, with Playa del Carmen 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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 151% 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 $363 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $173 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,049 in Lome versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,049 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.