Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $560 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Lome

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Lome actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $560 in Lome.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Lome $560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $992 in Lome.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Lome $992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,424 in Lome.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Lome $1,424

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 115% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Lome 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$2.86 F CFA 1,683

281.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$30.57 F CFA 18.0K

41.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.52 F CFA 3,250

113.41%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$5.74 F CFA 3,382

-33.62%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$4.14 F CFA 2,436

-69.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.75 F CFA 445

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$0.90 F CFA 527

252.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$1.73 F CFA 1,019

184.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.30 F CFA 1,355

-38.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.30 F CFA 764

70.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.48 F CFA 874

-4.05%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.96 F CFA 1,156

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$5.49 F CFA 3,230

131.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.03 F CFA 1,787

-8.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

-20.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$2.60 F CFA 1,529

-18.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.74 F CFA 1,025

11.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.22 F CFA 717

54.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.84 F CFA 492

40.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$4.70 F CFA 2,769

111.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.13 F CFA 668

39.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.41 F CFA 832

89.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.17 F CFA 691

184.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$4.35 F CFA 2,560

23.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.20 F CFA 707

20.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$146 F CFA 86.1K

-41.98%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$20.99 F CFA 12.4K

11.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$42.24 F CFA 24.9K

-32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$60.1 F CFA 35.4K

-5.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$8.71 F CFA 5,127

231.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$4.31 F CFA 2,540

19.26%

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,203 F CFA 708.3K

41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$295 F CFA 173.8K

264.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$295 F CFA 173.8K

148.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Lome

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Lome

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Lome

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Lome

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Lome

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Lome

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Lome

–

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $31 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $140 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Lome 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Lome

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 53% 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 in Playa del Carmen is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $560 in Lome – Lome is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $560 in Lome versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lome wins on affordability, Playa del Carmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.