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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,029 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,668 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,307 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 26% more than Ouagadougou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ouagadougou 23% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.73 MX$203
$5.19 F CFA 2,925
126.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.62 MX$720
$23.37 F CFA 13.2K
78.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 MX$184
$7.86 F CFA 4,435
35.37%
Cappuccino
$3.52 MX$60.9
$1.80 F CFA 1,017
95.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 MX$26.12
$0.78 F CFA 443
93.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 MX$16.84
$0.58 F CFA 328
67.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.95 MX$51.0
$1.08 F CFA 607
173.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 MX$77.0
$1.81 F CFA 1,020
145.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$23.93
$2.79 F CFA 1,575
-50.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 MX$32.72
$0.98 F CFA 550
92.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.64 MX$28.32
$1.03 F CFA 578
59.22%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$43.34
$3.04 F CFA 1,713
-17.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.34 MX$144
$17.65 F CFA 9,954
-52.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.34 MX$144
$21.28 F CFA 12.0K
-60.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.73 MX$186
$12.67 F CFA 7,143
-15.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.60 MX$45.04
$4.48 F CFA 2,526
-41.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 MX$25.20
$1.34 F CFA 756
8.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 MX$32.87
$1.02 F CFA 574
86.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MX$35.91
$2.41 F CFA 1,359
-13.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 MX$30.71
$2.26 F CFA 1,276
-21.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 MX$37.80
$1.32 F CFA 742
65.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 MX$17.99
$0.84 F CFA 475
23.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$18.62
$1.31 F CFA 737
-17.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.08 MX$70.6
$1.73 F CFA 978
135.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.32 MX$178
$6.19 F CFA 3,489
66.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 MX$29.61
$1.23 F CFA 695
39.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 MX$44.54
$2.33 F CFA 1,315
10.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$8.81
$0.16 F CFA 90.8
218.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.46 MX$458
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.26 MX$56.4
$0.55 F CFA 311
492.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.49 MX$43.09
$1.56 F CFA 879
59.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.25 MX$56.2
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 MX$22.61
$1.47 F CFA 832
-10.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K MX$523.7K
$37.9K F CFA 21.4M
-20.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K MX$405.3K
$36.7K F CFA 20.7M
-36.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.9 MX$1,433
$126 F CFA 71.3K
-34.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.22 MX$384
$35.94 F CFA 20.3K
-38.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.34 MX$507
$49.09 F CFA 27.7K
-40.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.6 MX$893
$61.8 F CFA 34.8K
-16.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.32 MX$317
$8.89 F CFA 5,014
106.07%
Cinema Ticket
$5.07 MX$87.6
$9.08 F CFA 5,123
-44.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,473
$131 F CFA 73.8K
53.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,212 MX$90.1K
$17.6K F CFA 9.9M
-70.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
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
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$973 MX$16.8K
$433 F CFA 244.3K
124.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$468 MX$8,090
$274 F CFA 154.4K
70.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 MX$28.4K
$1,271 F CFA 716.6K
29.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,221 MX$21.1K
$765 F CFA 431.2K
59.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,946 MX$68.3K
$889 F CFA 501.4K
343.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,498 MX$112.4K
$266 F CFA 150.0K
2343.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$664 MX$11.5K
$622 F CFA 350.8K
6.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
0
-

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 Ouagadougou: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $433 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 7% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $350 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
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, $1,029 in Ouagadougou – roughly 26% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Ouagadougou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,544 in Ouagadougou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Ouagadougou?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen and $1,029 in Ouagadougou. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $131 in Ouagadougou. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ouagadougou, where all-in costs run around $1,029, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Ouagadougou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,029 in Ouagadougou to $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou?
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.

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