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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $726 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,199 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,673 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% more than Nouakchott, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nouakchott are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Nouakchott 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.56 MRU 102

367.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$24.12 MRU 965

96.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$6.10 MRU 244

92.62%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MRU 71.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MRU 68.7

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$2.30 MRU 92.1

79.13%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.79 MRU 71.7

-21.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$2.19 MRU 87.6

-58.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.57 MRU 62.7

7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$0.26 MRU 10.36

726.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.31 MRU 52.6

35.11%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.24 MRU 89.8

25.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.89 MRU 236

56.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.41 MRU 216

70.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$7.27 MRU 291

73.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.86 MRU 115

3.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.78 MRU 71.1

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.38 MRU 55.0

60.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$0.90 MRU 36.03

162.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.78 MRU 31.20

155.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$0.87 MRU 34.66

127.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.73 MRU 29.16

69.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.59 MRU 23.52

105.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.17 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MRU 67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$2.46 MRU 98.4

86.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.46 MRU 18.57

30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

$21.87 MRU 876

35.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$0.89 MRU 35.69

488.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.35 MRU 14.13

942.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$3.51 MRU 140

64.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.46 MRU 58.5

5.48%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$7,435 MRU 297.6K

206.70%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$8,979 MRU 359.4K

187.49%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$129 MRU 5,148

-29.49%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$22.36 MRU 895

12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$59.5 MRU 2,380

-46.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$29.92 MRU 1,198

129.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

$246 MRU 9,852

-88.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$4.04 MRU 162

20.30%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$449 MRU 18.0K

-49.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$7,502 MRU 300.3K

-44.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$22.47 MRU 900

110.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$22.51 MRU 901

93.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$68.8 MRU 2,756

16.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$41.81 MRU 1,674

118.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$217 MRU 8,678

400.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$150 MRU 5,989

173.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$735 MRU 29.4K

168.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$286 MRU 11.4K

348.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$6,369 MRU 254.9K

-36.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$2,930 MRU 117.3K

128.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$577 MRU 23.1K

33.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-42.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $217 in Nouakchott. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $24.00 in Nouakchott. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $148 – making Nouakchott 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 Nouakchott: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 80% more than Nouakchott, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,089 in Nouakchott. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $726 in Nouakchott. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Nouakchott. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nouakchott, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Nouakchott it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nouakchott costs $726 versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nouakchott. 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.