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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,047 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,533 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,020 in Lome.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than Lome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Lome 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.15 F CFA 1,216

445.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$31.22 F CFA 17.6K

33.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.38 F CFA 3,036

97.77%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$5.61 F CFA 3,168

-37.25%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$3.46 F CFA 1,953

-56.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$1.11 F CFA 627

-12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.84 F CFA 477

251.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.71 F CFA 964

160.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$2.48 F CFA 1,397

-44.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$1.33 F CFA 748

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.83 F CFA 1,035

-10.38%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.10 F CFA 1,184

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$14.13 F CFA 7,975

-40.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.41 F CFA 4,748

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$9.44 F CFA 5,326

13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.71 F CFA 1,530

-4.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$1.50 F CFA 845

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

-27.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$2.48 F CFA 1,402

-16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.79 F CFA 1,012

-0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.74 F CFA 981

25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.50 F CFA 284

108.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.85 F CFA 482

27.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$1.44 F CFA 815

183.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.87 F CFA 2,748

111.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.33 F CFA 749

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.51 F CFA 855

70.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.36 F CFA 204

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

-50.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.13 F CFA 1,203

53.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.69 F CFA 389

260.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$5.21 F CFA 2,938

-37.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.25 F CFA 704

4.80%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

115.38%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$26.0K F CFA 14.7M

-9.77%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$173 F CFA 97.5K

-52.05%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$21.89 F CFA 12.4K

1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$44.32 F CFA 25.0K

-33.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$49.54 F CFA 28.0K

4.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$8.63 F CFA 4,871

112.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$4.33 F CFA 2,444

17.09%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$177 F CFA 99.9K

13.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,103 F CFA 2.9M

2.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$24.39 F CFA 13.8K

51.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$27.26 F CFA 15.4K

45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$42.14 F CFA 23.8K

86.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$94.0 F CFA 53.0K

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$360 F CFA 202.9K

170.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$224 F CFA 126.2K

109.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$765 F CFA 431.8K

114.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$299 F CFA 169.0K

307.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$267 F CFA 150.6K

148.88%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $360 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 149% 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 $31.00 in Lome. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $252, 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 24% 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 149% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $360 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $177 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 $1,047 in Lome versus $1,297 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 $1,047 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.