Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Maroua

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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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Maroua $348

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

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Maroua $519

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

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Maroua $690

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 246% more expensive than in Maroua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

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)

$1.28 MX$24.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.66 FCFA 972

-15.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$0.84 FCFA 489

164.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$2.84 FCFA 1,662

-50.00%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$5.62 FCFA 3,290

-55.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$5.13 FCFA 2,998

41.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.24 FCFA 3,064

46.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$3.31 FCFA 1,936

283.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$1.72 FCFA 1,003

61.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$0.87 FCFA 508

57.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$0.87 FCFA 511

193.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

21.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$2.60 FCFA 1,519

-25.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$1.71 FCFA 1,000

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$0.82 FCFA 480

43.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$11.12 FCFA 6,504

-10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$0.87 FCFA 511

81.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

52.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

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

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$51.6 FCFA 30.2K

64.48%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$8.43 FCFA 4,932

177.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

$16.99 FCFA 9,937

235.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$1.69 FCFA 988

1610.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

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

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$83.7 FCFA 48.9K

355.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$154 FCFA 89.9K

599.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

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 Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maroua: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Maroua

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Maroua

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Maroua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Maroua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Maroua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Maroua

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Maroua

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇲 Maroua

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

21:16 9:16 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,119,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
Maroua

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 Maroua: 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 $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $522 in Maroua 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 $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $348 in Maroua – 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.