Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Libreville and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,500 in Libreville, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Libreville
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Libreville Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Libreville

🇬🇦 Gabon

$1,500

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Libreville 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 Libreville and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,500 per month in Libreville vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Libreville $1,500
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,441 per month in Libreville vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Libreville $2,441
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,382 per month in Libreville vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Libreville $3,382
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Libreville costs about 25% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Libreville sits 10% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.95 FCFA 9,984

$10.92 MX$204

55.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.7 FCFA 39.9K

$43.37 MX$808

56.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 FCFA 8,945

$11.78 MX$220

28.95%

Cappuccino

$5.93 FCFA 3,492

$3.81 MX$71.0

55.64%

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

$1.71 FCFA 1,009

$1.28 MX$23.90

33.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 FCFA 854

$0.78 MX$14.59

85.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.00 FCFA 586

$3.17 MX$59.0

-68.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 FCFA 1,109

$4.93 MX$92.0

-61.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 FCFA 2,033

$1.41 MX$26.22

144.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 FCFA 721

$2.22 MX$41.33

-45.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 FCFA 1,727

$1.42 MX$26.42

106.34%

Eggs

$4.22 FCFA 2,485

$2.52 MX$47.03

67.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 FCFA 5,993

$7.26 MX$135

40.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 FCFA 4,965

$7.70 MX$143

9.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.97 FCFA 15.3K

$12.69 MX$237

104.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 FCFA 1,778

$2.78 MX$51.9

8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 FCFA 2,212

$1.37 MX$25.50

174.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 FCFA 2,194

$2.55 MX$47.55

46.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 FCFA 1,968

$2.12 MX$39.58

57.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 FCFA 1,799

$1.94 MX$36.13

57.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.38 FCFA 2,580

$1.89 MX$35.16

131.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 FCFA 1,223

$1.15 MX$21.37

80.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 FCFA 928

$1.18 MX$21.98

33.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 FCFA 1,491

$4.30 MX$80.1

-41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 FCFA 6,735

$9.95 MX$185

14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 FCFA 560

$1.58 MX$29.52

-39.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 771

$2.67 MX$49.79

-50.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 FCFA 208

$0.55 MX$10.31

-36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.44 FCFA 20.3K

$26.62 MX$496

29.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 FCFA 740

$4.97 MX$92.6

-74.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 FCFA 452

$3.33 MX$62.1

-76.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.84 FCFA 9,917

$5.36 MX$99.8

214.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 FCFA 611

$1.44 MX$26.92

-27.78%

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

$29.4K FCFA 17.3M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

42.27%

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

$21.8K FCFA 12.8M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

-7.30%

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

$84.6 FCFA 49.8K

$84.8 MX$1,581

-0.26%

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

$33.55 FCFA 19.8K

$23.41 MX$436

43.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 FCFA 37.6K

$28.66 MX$534

123.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 FCFA 37.9K

$57.1 MX$1,063

12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.75 FCFA 15.2K

$28.91 MX$539

-10.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 FCFA 2,629

$5.14 MX$95.8

-13.23%

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

$173 FCFA 101.8K

$207 MX$3,851

-16.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,638 FCFA 3.3M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

43.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 FCFA 49.5K

$43.35 MX$808

93.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.23 FCFA 25.5K

$41.44 MX$772

4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.0 FCFA 30.6K

$74.2 MX$1,383

-29.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 FCFA 61.2K

$89.3 MX$1,664

16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 FCFA 605.6K

$980 MX$18.3K

4.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 FCFA 254.2K

$381 MX$7,099

13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 FCFA 1.2M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

19.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 FCFA 497.2K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-21.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,602 FCFA 2.1M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-8.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,761 FCFA 1.6M

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-55.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$417 FCFA 245.8K

$735 MX$13.7K

-43.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.45

0.44%

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

Last update for Libreville: October 27, 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

Libreville

$432 28.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 11.8% $51

Groceries & Markets

Libreville

$371 24.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 31.3% $116

Eating Out

Libreville

$274 18.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 26.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Libreville

$182 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 24.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Libreville

$127 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 12.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Libreville

$73 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 8.2% $6

Getting Around

Libreville

$41 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 23.2% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Libreville 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.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Playa del Carmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Libreville versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇬🇦 Libreville

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

11:53 11:53 AM

6 h behind Libreville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

850,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 655 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Libreville Playa del Carmen 10,670 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Libreville
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

Libreville vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,500 in Libreville, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 25% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,250 per month in Libreville and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,028 in Libreville and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,500 in Libreville and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 25%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,500 in Libreville. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 25% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.