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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,031 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,699 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,367 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% more than Ouagadougou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ouagadougou are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ouagadougou 23% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.99 MX$209
$5.40 F CFA 3,102
122.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.78 MX$728
$23.98 F CFA 13.8K
74.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.75 MX$187
$8.06 F CFA 4,625
33.37%
Cappuccino
$3.50 MX$60.9
$1.71 F CFA 983
104.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.45 MX$25.22
$0.84 F CFA 485
72.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88 MX$15.41
$0.58 F CFA 333
51.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.95 MX$51.3
$1.03 F CFA 593
186.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51 MX$78.6
$1.81 F CFA 1,037
149.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$24.94
$2.73 F CFA 1,570
-47.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 MX$31.99
$0.90 F CFA 517
104.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 MX$27.31
$1.02 F CFA 585
53.92%
Eggs
$2.51 MX$43.74
$3.07 F CFA 1,765
-18.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.28 MX$144
$17.47 F CFA 10.0K
-52.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.43 MX$147
$21.08 F CFA 12.1K
-60.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.68 MX$186
$12.37 F CFA 7,101
-13.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 MX$45.43
$4.29 F CFA 2,465
-39.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$25.04
$1.42 F CFA 815
1.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 MX$34.16
$1.01 F CFA 582
94.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.09 MX$36.47
$2.48 F CFA 1,425
-15.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 MX$32.24
$2.16 F CFA 1,242
-14.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 MX$37.74
$1.36 F CFA 780
59.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 MX$17.96
$0.84 F CFA 484
22.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 MX$18.70
$1.35 F CFA 776
-20.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.10 MX$71.4
$1.71 F CFA 984
139.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.17 MX$177
$6.19 F CFA 3,551
64.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 MX$29.17
$1.30 F CFA 745
29.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 MX$43.98
$2.33 F CFA 1,336
8.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$8.87
$0.20 F CFA 117
155.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.04 MX$453
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 MX$56.3
$0.51 F CFA 294
533.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.41 MX$41.88
$1.61 F CFA 923
49.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 MX$56.2
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 MX$23.00
$1.46 F CFA 839
-9.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K MX$517.1K
$37.3K F CFA 21.4M
-20.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K MX$412.0K
$37.8K F CFA 21.7M
-37.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.0 MX$1,428
$127 F CFA 72.9K
-35.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.95 MX$400
$35.50 F CFA 20.4K
-35.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.11 MX$524
$50.7 F CFA 29.1K
-40.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.0 MX$905
$61.2 F CFA 35.2K
-15.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.53 MX$323
$8.60 F CFA 4,936
115.47%
Cinema Ticket
$4.98 MX$86.6
$8.94 F CFA 5,134
-44.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$197 MX$3,438
$135 F CFA 77.2K
46.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,336 MX$92.9K
$17.7K F CFA 10.2M
-69.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.60 MX$620
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.33 MX$702
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 MX$1,371
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.9 MX$1,549
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$947 MX$16.5K
$449 F CFA 257.9K
110.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$474 MX$8,254
$277 F CFA 158.9K
71.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,644 MX$28.6K
$1,279 F CFA 734.6K
28.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,211 MX$21.1K
$765 F CFA 439.1K
58.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,056 MX$70.6K
$877 F CFA 503.8K
362.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,470 MX$112.7K
$260 F CFA 149.5K
2384.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ouagadougou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$654 MX$11.4K
$607 F CFA 348.7K
7.67%
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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $449 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 8% 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 $24.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Playa del Carmen vs $346 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 in Ouagadougou compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $1,031 in Ouagadougou – roughly 22% 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,546 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,031 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 $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $135 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 $1,031, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $1,031 in Ouagadougou to $1,256 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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