Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between N'Djamena and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in N'Djamena: $1,079 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

53

Cost of Living Index in N'Djamena
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N'Djamena Living Index
59

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

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N'Djamena

🇹🇩 Chad

$1,079

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,079 in N'Djamena versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

N'Djamena $1,079
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,435 in N'Djamena versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

N'Djamena $1,435
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,790 in N'Djamena versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

N'Djamena $1,790
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in N'Djamena costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: N'Djamena 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.26 FCFA 4,816

$10.76 MX$199

-23.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

Cappuccino

$0.82 FCFA 479

$3.87 MX$71.4

-78.81%

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

$0.82 FCFA 478

$1.37 MX$25.29

-40.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 FCFA 483

$0.84 MX$15.44

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 FCFA 754

$3.10 MX$57.3

-58.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 FCFA 981

$5.07 MX$93.6

-66.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 FCFA 2,110

$1.44 MX$26.55

151.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.35 FCFA 205

$2.23 MX$41.23

-84.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 FCFA 2,006

$1.47 MX$27.17

134.01%

Eggs

$2.09 FCFA 1,219

$2.53 MX$46.71

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.33 FCFA 1,945

$7.30 MX$135

-54.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.67 FCFA 3,888

$7.86 MX$145

-15.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.50 FCFA 2,041

$12.79 MX$236

-72.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 FCFA 2,741

$2.90 MX$53.6

62.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 FCFA 1,205

$1.44 MX$26.53

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 FCFA 1,479

$2.55 MX$47.07

-0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 FCFA 1,383

$2.06 MX$38.03

15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 FCFA 915

$2.00 MX$36.97

-21.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 FCFA 903

$2.01 MX$37.07

-22.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 FCFA 308

$1.19 MX$22.02

-55.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 FCFA 1,262

$1.26 MX$23.23

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.94 FCFA 545

$4.40 MX$81.4

-78.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 FCFA 4,507

$9.59 MX$177

-19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 FCFA 686

$1.59 MX$29.41

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 FCFA 1,009

$2.81 MX$51.9

-38.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 FCFA 258

$0.57 MX$10.47

-22.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 FCFA 49.9K

$27.82 MX$514

207.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 FCFA 257

$4.98 MX$92.1

-91.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 FCFA 242

$3.50 MX$64.6

-88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 FCFA 3,053

$5.40 MX$99.8

-2.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 FCFA 737

$1.47 MX$27.08

-14.29%

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

$11.8K FCFA 6.9M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

-43.57%

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

$11.0K FCFA 6.4M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-53.88%

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

$42.22 FCFA 24.6K

$84.2 MX$1,556

-49.86%

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

$25.13 FCFA 14.7K

$23.99 MX$443

4.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$425 FCFA 247.8K

$29.02 MX$536

1364.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.83 FCFA 15.1K

$43.60 MX$806

-40.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 FCFA 19.9K

$43.12 MX$797

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$43.34 FCFA 25.3K

$75.8 MX$1,400

-42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 FCFA 49.1K

$88.6 MX$1,637

-5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 FCFA 1.0M

$1,008 MX$18.6K

70.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$86.3 FCFA 50.3K

$374 MX$6,911

-76.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 FCFA 146.8K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-85.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 FCFA 100.3K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-84.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$347 FCFA 202.3K

$754 MX$13.9K

-54.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.45

-69.43%

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

Last update for N'Djamena: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

N'Djamena

$492 45.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 72.1% $355

Groceries & Markets

N'Djamena

$234 21.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 10.3% $24

Eating Out

N'Djamena

$92 * 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 119% $110

Getting Around

N'Djamena

$90 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 41.5% $37

Accommodation & Living

N'Djamena

$86 8%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 333% $288

Clothing & Footwear

N'Djamena

$84 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 34% $29

Sport & Entertainment

N'Djamena

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,716 in N'Djamena and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 117% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇩 N'Djamena

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

04:16 4:16 AM

6 h behind N'Djamena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,092,066 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

N'Djamena Playa del Carmen 10,760 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

N'Djamena
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

N'Djamena vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

N'Djamena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 117% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,716 in N'Djamena versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

A monthly transit pass in N'Djamena runs roughly 207% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,079 in N'Djamena versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in N'Djamena but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes N'Djamena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, N'Djamena is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find N'Djamena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.