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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,376 in Niamey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,812 in Niamey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,248 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 5% below, Niamey is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.40 F CFA 3,068

117.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$39.45 F CFA 22.4K

6.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$10.40 F CFA 5,903

1.06%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.17 F CFA 1,798

13.25%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.45 F CFA 825

4.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.64 F CFA 366

43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.30 F CFA 739

127.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.12 F CFA 1,772

41.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.45 F CFA 1,391

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.57 F CFA 323

229.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.26 F CFA 717

23.81%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.39 F CFA 1,356

9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.53 F CFA 4,276

10.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.80 F CFA 4,431

39.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$4.29 F CFA 2,433

-36.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.49 F CFA 844

1.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.97 F CFA 1,687

-37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.03 F CFA 1,150

7.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.48 F CFA 843

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.73 F CFA 417

205.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.89 F CFA 507

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.37 F CFA 780

-20.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.69 F CFA 1,525

55.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$13.93 F CFA 7,910

-25.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.39 F CFA 790

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.23 F CFA 1,269

17.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.64 F CFA 361

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$26.36 F CFA 15.0K

-0.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.46 F CFA 261

569.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.42 F CFA 236

471.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.04 F CFA 3,430

-48.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.95 F CFA 540

37.89%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.8K F CFA 11.8M

43.18%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$24.6K F CFA 14.0M

-5.20%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$351 F CFA 199.0K

-76.82%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.99 F CFA 10.2K

25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$9.08 F CFA 5,153

230.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$62.5 F CFA 35.5K

-15.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$8.61 F CFA 4,887

113.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.72 F CFA 2,679

4.24%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$1,011 F CFA 574.0K

-80.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,827 F CFA 2.7M

7.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$43.68 F CFA 24.8K

-17.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$53.7 F CFA 30.5K

-25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$40.15 F CFA 22.8K

98.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$49.11 F CFA 27.9K

76.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$974 F CFA 552.7K

0.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$448 F CFA 254.2K

5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$876 F CFA 497.5K

88.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$455 F CFA 258.2K

164.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,721 F CFA 977.3K

129.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$975 F CFA 553.7K

577.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$385 F CFA 218.8K

75.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Niamey: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $974 in Niamey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Niamey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $223 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 76% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $974 in Niamey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $39.00 in Niamey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,376 in Niamey – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,376 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 $1,260 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.