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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,228 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,025 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,823 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Ouagadougou, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ouagadougou 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.41 F CFA 4,188

61.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$26.85 F CFA 15.2K

76.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.56 F CFA 4,274

55.42%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.11 F CFA 1,192

95.26%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.13 F CFA 639

23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.10 F CFA 619

-17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.23 F CFA 693

160.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.59 F CFA 1,462

172.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.04 F CFA 1,153

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.13 F CFA 639

90.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.87 F CFA 494

103.45%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.61 F CFA 1,473

8.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$17.51 F CFA 9,894

-47.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$20.94 F CFA 11.8K

-55.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$15.74 F CFA 8,896

-19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$4.88 F CFA 2,759

-39.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.47 F CFA 1,963

-36.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.88 F CFA 2,193

-39.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.59 F CFA 899

25.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.80 F CFA 1,015

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.37 F CFA 772

-9.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.38 F CFA 780

-12.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$1.39 F CFA 786

230.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.23 F CFA 3,519

68.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.45 F CFA 817

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.63 F CFA 1,486

5.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.20 F CFA 114

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$0.51 F CFA 288

927.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.88 F CFA 496

314.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$8.79 F CFA 4,966

-34.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.49 F CFA 844

3.36%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$38.6K F CFA 21.8M

-41.00%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.2K F CFA 18.2M

-19.76%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$184 F CFA 103.9K

-50.70%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$26.98 F CFA 15.2K

-6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$55.2 F CFA 31.2K

-42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$61.8 F CFA 34.9K

11.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$8.68 F CFA 4,907

238.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.94 F CFA 3,923

-29.97%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$36.13 F CFA 20.4K

524.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,178 F CFA 3.5M

-32.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$35.07 F CFA 19.8K

35.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$53.7 F CFA 30.3K

-19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$90.0 F CFA 50.9K

-10.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$106 F CFA 59.9K

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$347 F CFA 196.3K

212.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$238 F CFA 134.2K

72.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,398 F CFA 790.2K

41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$756 F CFA 427.3K

69.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$887 F CFA 501.1K

356.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$261 F CFA 147.5K

2468.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$612 F CFA 345.7K

26.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-4.58%

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 Ouagadougou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $347 in Ouagadougou. 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 26% 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 $27.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Playa del Carmen vs $363 in Ouagadougou – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ouagadougou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, $1,228 in Ouagadougou – roughly 6% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,842 in Ouagadougou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ouagadougou, 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 $1,228 in Ouagadougou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $36.13 in Ouagadougou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ouagadougou, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Ouagadougou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,228 in Ouagadougou to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ouagadougou. 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.