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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $263 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $495 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $727 in Nouadhibou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 393% more than Nouadhibou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nouadhibou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Nouadhibou 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.60 MRU 104

351.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$17.09 MRU 683

143.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.96 MRU 238

78.52%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.55 MRU 102

38.04%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.27 MRU 50.9

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.36 MRU 14.44

425.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.17 MRU 46.86

40.17%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.10 MRU 83.9

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.82 MRU 113

195.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.45 MRU 258

66.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.75 MRU 69.9

48.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.56 MRU 62.5

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.13 MRU 44.96

68.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.75 MRU 29.93

177.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.74 MRU 29.37

140.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.73 MRU 29.16

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.60 MRU 24.04

73.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.57 MRU 103

58.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.40 MRU 15.80

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.91 MRU 36.33

258.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$7.78 MRU 311

-58.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.23 MRU 49.09

6.50%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

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

$22.22 MX$384

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

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

$201 MX$3,473

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$64.9 MRU 2,594

1397.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$99.7 MRU 3,982

369.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$255 MRU 10.2K

379.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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 Nouadhibou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $64.9 in Nouadhibou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Nouadhibou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $95.0 – making Nouadhibou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nouadhibou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 393%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $394 in Nouadhibou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nouadhibou, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 161% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $17.00 in Nouadhibou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nouadhibou, where all-in costs run around $263, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Nouadhibou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nouadhibou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nouadhibou. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.