Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroua and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $348 in Maroua versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Maroua $348
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $519 in Maroua versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Maroua $519
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $690 in Maroua versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Maroua $690
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Maroua costs roughly 71% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maroua 74% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 FCFA 976

$1.41 MX$26.40

17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 FCFA 491

$2.22 MX$41.62

-62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 FCFA 1,669

$1.42 MX$26.61

100.00%

Eggs

$5.62 FCFA 3,303

$2.52 MX$47.36

123.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 FCFA 3,011

$7.26 MX$136

-29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 FCFA 3,076

$7.70 MX$144

-31.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.31 FCFA 1,945

$12.69 MX$238

-73.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 FCFA 1,007

$2.78 MX$52.3

-38.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 FCFA 510

$1.37 MX$25.68

-36.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 FCFA 513

$2.55 MX$47.89

-65.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 FCFA 1,020

$2.12 MX$39.86

-17.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 FCFA 1,525

$1.94 MX$36.39

34.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 FCFA 1,005

$1.89 MX$35.41

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 482

$1.18 MX$22.13

-30.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 FCFA 6,531

$9.95 MX$187

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 FCFA 513

$1.58 MX$29.73

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 FCFA 1,026

$2.67 MX$50.1

-34.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$51.6 FCFA 30.3K

$84.8 MX$1,592

-39.20%

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

$8.43 FCFA 4,952

$23.41 MX$439

-63.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.99 FCFA 9,979

$57.1 MX$1,071

-70.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.69 FCFA 992

$28.91 MX$543

-94.15%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 FCFA 49.1K

$381 MX$7,150

-78.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 FCFA 90.2K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-85.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Maroua: 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

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Maroua

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Good to know

🇨🇲 Maroua

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:53 11:53 PM

17:53 5:53 PM

6 h behind Maroua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,119,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Maroua Playa del Carmen 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Maroua
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

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

Maroua is about 71% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $522 in Maroua and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $348 per month in Maroua versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Maroua is about 71% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $348 in Maroua versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maroua but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Maroua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.