Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ziguinchor and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ziguinchor: $153 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ziguinchor, Senegal
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ziguinchor
🇸🇳 Senegal
$153
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $153 per month in Ziguinchor vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ziguinchor $153
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $341 per month in Ziguinchor vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ziguinchor $341
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $528 per month in Ziguinchor vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ziguinchor $528
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Ziguinchor is about 87% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ziguinchor and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Ziguinchor 89% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.24 F CFA 3,648
$10.92 MX$205
-42.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$43.37 MX$813
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.78 MX$221
-
Cappuccino
-
$3.81 MX$71.4
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 F CFA 485
$1.28 MX$24.03
-35.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 F CFA 259
$0.78 MX$14.67
-43.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.17 MX$59.3
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.93 MX$92.5
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.91 F CFA 1,117
$1.41 MX$26.35
35.46%
White Bread (500g)
$0.35 F CFA 202
$2.22 MX$41.54
-84.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 F CFA 728
$1.42 MX$26.56
-12.68%
Eggs
-
$2.52 MX$47.27
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.26 MX$136
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.70 MX$144
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.69 MX$238
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.41 F CFA 1,410
$2.78 MX$52.2
-13.31%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.37 MX$25.64
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.55 MX$47.80
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.73 F CFA 1,013
$2.12 MX$39.78
-18.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 F CFA 994
$1.94 MX$36.32
-12.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.66 F CFA 973
$1.89 MX$35.34
-12.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.15 MX$21.49
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.18 MX$22.09
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.30 MX$80.5
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.95 MX$186
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.90 F CFA 526
$1.58 MX$29.67
-43.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$50.1
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 F CFA 145
$0.55 MX$10.37
-54.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$499
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.73 F CFA 1,010
$4.97 MX$93.1
-65.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.33 MX$62.4
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.36 MX$100
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.72 F CFA 1,006
$1.44 MX$27.06
19.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.7K MX$387.3K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$23.5K MX$439.7K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$84.8 MX$1,589
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.69 F CFA 7,423
$23.41 MX$439
-45.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$28.66 MX$537
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.13 F CFA 12.4K
$57.1 MX$1,069
-62.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$542
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.14 MX$96.3
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$207 MX$3,871
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,542 F CFA 1.5M
$3,927 MX$73.6K
-35.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$43.35 MX$812
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$41.44 MX$777
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$74.2 MX$1,390
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$89.3 MX$1,672
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$429 F CFA 250.6K
$980 MX$18.4K
-56.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,136
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,708 MX$32.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$190 F CFA 111.0K
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-82.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$73.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ziguinchor
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ziguinchor: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Ziguinchor versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know
🇸🇳 Ziguinchor
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
13:50 1:50 PM
08:50 8:50 AM
5 h behind Ziguinchor
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
230,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ziguinchor Playa del Carmen 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ziguinchor
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Ziguinchor vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ziguinchor cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 689%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $229 per month in Ziguinchor and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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 Ziguinchor, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $429 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Ziguinchor and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $153 in Ziguinchor and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Ziguinchor about 87% cheaper.
How do food prices compare in Ziguinchor and in Playa del Carmen?
Groceries cost about 316% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ziguinchor or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ziguinchor, where all-in costs run around $153, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Ziguinchor it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Ziguinchor or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $153 in Ziguinchor to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Ziguinchor vs other spots: cost of living compared

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