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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,520 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,012 in Lome.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than Lome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Lome 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$2.18 F CFA 1,219

432.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$31.89 F CFA 17.8K

34.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$5.15 F CFA 2,876

105.83%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$5.90 F CFA 3,291

-39.15%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$3.38 F CFA 1,888

-57.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$1.11 F CFA 621

-18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$0.84 F CFA 472

260.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$1.71 F CFA 955

166.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$2.42 F CFA 1,353

-40.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.26 F CFA 706

45.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.85 F CFA 1,031

-12.97%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$2.06 F CFA 1,148

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$14.08 F CFA 7,859

-39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$8.50 F CFA 4,746

-0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.91 F CFA 4,974

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$2.63 F CFA 1,471

3.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$1.51 F CFA 842

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$2.69 F CFA 1,504

-27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$2.43 F CFA 1,358

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.80 F CFA 1,007

2.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.75 F CFA 975

25.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.52 F CFA 289

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.86 F CFA 479

25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$1.38 F CFA 773

194.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$4.83 F CFA 2,699

116.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$1.36 F CFA 760

21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.50 F CFA 839

70.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.34 F CFA 190

64.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$52.2 F CFA 29.1K

-49.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

49.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.74 F CFA 415

220.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$5.27 F CFA 2,941

-38.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.19 F CFA 666

10.08%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

115.90%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$25.6K F CFA 14.3M

-6.99%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$172 F CFA 96.0K

-51.65%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$22.30 F CFA 12.4K

-0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$43.33 F CFA 24.2K

-32.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$49.05 F CFA 27.4K

4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$9.08 F CFA 5,069

105.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$4.31 F CFA 2,404

13.46%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$178 F CFA 99.5K

11.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$5,148 F CFA 2.9M

1.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$24.52 F CFA 13.7K

46.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$27.17 F CFA 15.2K

44.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$40.81 F CFA 22.8K

96.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$94.2 F CFA 52.6K

-7.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$358 F CFA 199.9K

169.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$221 F CFA 123.2K

118.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$764 F CFA 426.4K

115.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$300 F CFA 167.7K

296.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$264 F CFA 147.4K

175.13%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Lome: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $358 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 175% 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $32 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $250 per month, with Lome 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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 175% 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 $358 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Lome versus $1,262 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 $1,028 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.