Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nouakchott

For one person, living is cheaper in Nouakchott: $807 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Nouakchott
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Nouakchott Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Nouakchott

🇲🇷 Mauritania

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Nouakchott

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Nouakchott actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $807 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Nouakchott $807

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,326 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Nouakchott $1,326

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,845 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Nouakchott $1,845

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Nouakchott, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nouakchott are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Nouakchott 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$2.54 MRU 102

329.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$24.12 MRU 968

79.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.97 MRU 240

97.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 MRU 68.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MRU 67.8

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.32 MRU 93.1

64.22%

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

$1.28 MX$24.04

$1.79 MRU 71.8

-28.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.68

$2.12 MRU 85.3

-63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.37

$1.61 MRU 64.5

-12.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.57

$0.28 MRU 11.36

692.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.57

$1.38 MRU 55.3

2.90%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.30

$2.25 MRU 90.4

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$6.01 MRU 241

20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.47 MRU 220

40.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$7.31 MRU 293

73.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.24 MRU 130

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.65

$1.82 MRU 73.2

-24.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.83

$1.55 MRU 62.3

64.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.81

$1.16 MRU 46.58

82.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.34

$0.93 MRU 37.54

108.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.36

$0.88 MRU 35.41

114.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.50

$0.73 MRU 29.19

57.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.11

$0.61 MRU 24.49

93.44%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.25 MRU 411

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$2.45 MRU 98.3

75.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$0.47 MRU 18.92

17.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$21.95 MRU 881

21.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.2

$0.90 MRU 36.18

452.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.38 MRU 15.38

776.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$3.54 MRU 142

51.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.07

$1.41 MRU 56.8

2.13%

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

$20.7K MX$387.5K

$7,363 MRU 295.6K

180.67%

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

$23.5K MX$440.0K

$8,951 MRU 359.4K

162.16%

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

$84.8 MX$1,590

$127 MRU 5,103

-33.29%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$21.88 MRU 879

6.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$59.2 MRU 2,375

-51.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,070

$85.1 MRU 3,415

-32.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$249 MRU 10.0K

-88.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.4

$4.08 MRU 164

25.98%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$449 MRU 18.0K

-53.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$7,617 MRU 305.8K

-48.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$813

$15.34 MRU 616

182.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$22.81 MRU 916

81.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,391

$67.8 MRU 2,721

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,673

$46.43 MRU 1,864

92.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$288 MRU 11.6K

240.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,140

$174 MRU 6,999

118.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$728 MRU 29.2K

134.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$317 MRU 12.7K

239.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$641 MRU 25.8K

14.50%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Nouakchott

$174 21.6% 54.2% $207

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Nouakchott

$155 19.2% 39.3% $100

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Nouakchott

$82 10.1% 59.6% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Nouakchott

$208 25.8% 52.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Nouakchott

$69 8.5% 38.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Nouakchott

$93 11.6% 38.5% $26

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Nouakchott

$27 3.3% 47.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $288 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 15% 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $24 in Nouakchott. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $155 – making Nouakchott the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇷 Nouakchott

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

14:55 2:55 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

958,399 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Mauritanian Ouguiya MRU UM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 MRU = 2.49 USD

100 MRU = 2.23 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MRU, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Mauritanian Ouguiya exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 MRU (100 MRU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.81 MRU (100 MRU = 2.23 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Nouakchott 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Nouakchott

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 49% more than Nouakchott, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,211 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $807 in Nouakchott. That makes Nouakchott about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Nouakchott. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $807 in Nouakchott. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $807 in Nouakchott to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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