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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,377 in Niamey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,820 in Niamey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,263 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 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.36 F CFA 3,029

121.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$40.06 F CFA 22.6K

7.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$10.44 F CFA 5,897

2.01%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.16 F CFA 1,783

9.18%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.50 F CFA 847

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.65 F CFA 365

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.31 F CFA 738

131.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.12 F CFA 1,763

47.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.53 F CFA 1,430

-45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.56 F CFA 317

230.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.26 F CFA 712

27.78%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.44 F CFA 1,379

6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.44 F CFA 4,204

12.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.84 F CFA 4,426

35.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.39 F CFA 2,478

-40.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.46 F CFA 822

2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.00 F CFA 1,695

-36.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.08 F CFA 1,174

0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.44 F CFA 811

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.73 F CFA 411

209.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.92 F CFA 519

15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.32 F CFA 745

-17.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.60 F CFA 1,467

59.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$14.35 F CFA 8,104

-27.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.39 F CFA 787

23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.18 F CFA 1,229

19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.64 F CFA 364

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$26.39 F CFA 14.9K

2.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.46 F CFA 261

580.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.41 F CFA 232

512.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.12 F CFA 3,458

-48.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.95 F CFA 538

33.68%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.0K F CFA 11.9M

44.66%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.0K F CFA 14.1M

-5.64%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$357 F CFA 201.8K

-76.77%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.67 F CFA 9,980

28.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.96 F CFA 5,062

228.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$63.8 F CFA 36.0K

-20.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$9.08 F CFA 5,129

101.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.81 F CFA 2,717

2.49%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$1,003 F CFA 566.4K

-80.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,926 F CFA 2.8M

7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$44.99 F CFA 25.4K

-17.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$51.9 F CFA 29.3K

-23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$40.23 F CFA 22.7K

98.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$49.29 F CFA 27.8K

81.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$975 F CFA 550.6K

-1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$445 F CFA 251.6K

7.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$872 F CFA 492.5K

88.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$459 F CFA 259.4K

166.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,712 F CFA 967.2K

128.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$986 F CFA 556.6K

555.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$398 F CFA 225.0K

67.45%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Niamey: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $975 in Niamey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Niamey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $225 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 8% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 67% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $975 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 $43.00 versus $40.00 in Niamey. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,377 in Niamey – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,377 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 $1,271 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 8% less than in Niamey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.