Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Port Harcourt

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Harcourt: $392 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Port Harcourt
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$392
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Port Harcourt

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 Port Harcourt actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $392 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Port Harcourt $392

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $815 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Port Harcourt $815

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,238 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Port Harcourt $1,238

Playa del Carmen costs about 207% more than Port Harcourt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Port Harcourt are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Port Harcourt 71% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$2.04 ₦2,738
435.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$30.33 ₦40.7K
42.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$4.82 ₦6,468
144.40%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$1.61 ₦2,165
136.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.89
$0.60 ₦806
113.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.58
$0.65 ₦877
20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$1.44 ₦1,934
120.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.9
$3.03 ₦4,060
62.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.20
$2.60 ₦3,488
-45.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.30
$0.91 ₦1,217
143.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.40
$3.26 ₦4,374
-56.44%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.00
$1.76 ₦2,363
43.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$1.88 ₦2,519
309.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$2.46 ₦3,301
13.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.49
$2.23 ₦2,990
-38.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.52
$1.83 ₦2,456
39.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.55
$3.06 ₦4,099
-30.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.11
$2.22 ₦2,976
-12.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.13
$1.53 ₦2,052
23.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.36
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.96
$0.62 ₦833
90.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.0
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$5.28 ₦7,090
88.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.50
$0.72 ₦970
119.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.76
$1.46 ₦1,962
82.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$0.36 ₦477
1280.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.90
$0.58 ₦781
148.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.2K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,580
$30.24 ₦40.6K
180.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$3.82 ₦5,126
512.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$14.22 ₦19.1K
301.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.7
$4.07 ₦5,455
26.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,848
$24.79 ₦33.3K
733.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$788 ₦1.1M
398.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$6.85 ₦9,189
532.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$11.43 ₦15.3K
262.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,382
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,663
$15.09 ₦20.2K
491.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
$151 ₦202.8K
548.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,095
$104 ₦140.1K
264.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,131 ₦1.5M
51.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$499 ₦669.2K
115.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Port Harcourt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$55.8 ₦74.9K
1216.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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 Port Harcourt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Port Harcourt
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Port Harcourt
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Port Harcourt
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Port Harcourt
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Port Harcourt
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Port Harcourt
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Port Harcourt
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $151 in Port Harcourt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $30 in Port Harcourt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $147 – making Port Harcourt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇳🇬 Port Harcourt
🕒 Local time
23:04 11:04 PM
05:04 5:04 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,382,592
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,494 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Port Harcourt 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Port Harcourt

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 Port Harcourt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Harcourt cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 207%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $588 in Port Harcourt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Harcourt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $151 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Port Harcourt?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $392 in Port Harcourt. That makes Port Harcourt about 67% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $25 in Port Harcourt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Port Harcourt?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Port Harcourt, where all-in costs run around $392, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Port Harcourt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Port Harcourt more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Port Harcourt – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Port Harcourt. 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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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