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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Niamey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,747 in Niamey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,121 in Niamey.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 8% less than in Niamey, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Niamey is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.75 F CFA 3,854

71.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$39.28 F CFA 22.4K

19.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.84 F CFA 5,617

20.73%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.27 F CFA 1,868

21.71%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.48 F CFA 846

-3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$1.03 F CFA 588

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.29 F CFA 739

147.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.03 F CFA 1,727

124.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.41 F CFA 1,375

-30.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.55 F CFA 313

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.74 F CFA 992

-1.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.27 F CFA 1,295

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.98 F CFA 3,413

50.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.12 F CFA 4,636

57.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.47 F CFA 1,981

-16.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.61 F CFA 916

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.98 F CFA 1,703

-27.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.68 F CFA 957

34.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.51 F CFA 862

31.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.73 F CFA 419

172.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.90 F CFA 514

36.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.09 F CFA 619

10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.61 F CFA 1,487

74.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.11 F CFA 8,054

-26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.43 F CFA 813

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$3.54 F CFA 2,022

-18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.33 F CFA 191

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.45 F CFA 257

1097.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.34 F CFA 192

997.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.93 F CFA 5,096

-35.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.99 F CFA 565

55.56%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$21.4K F CFA 12.2M

5.55%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$24.3K F CFA 13.9M

7.26%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$179 F CFA 102.0K

-48.88%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$17.68 F CFA 10.1K

42.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$87.1 F CFA 49.7K

-64.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$74.8 F CFA 42.7K

-10.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.34 F CFA 3,046

-8.99%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$1,055 F CFA 601.9K

-78.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$4,323 F CFA 2.5M

-2.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$69.7 F CFA 39.8K

-32.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$88.8 F CFA 50.7K

-50.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$52.5 F CFA 30.0K

52.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$71.4 F CFA 40.8K

29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$962 F CFA 549.0K

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$528 F CFA 301.6K

-26.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$833 F CFA 475.2K

158.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$424 F CFA 241.9K

200.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,782 F CFA 1.0M

124.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$997 F CFA 569.1K

551.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$396 F CFA 225.7K

91.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

27.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Niamey: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $962 in Niamey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Niamey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $212 per month, with Niamey 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 Niamey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Niamey. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 92% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Niamey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Niamey pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Niamey – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Niamey, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Niamey. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Niamey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.