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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,057 in N'Djamena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,452 in N'Djamena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,847 in N'Djamena.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than in N'Djamena, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, N'Djamena 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.78 FCFA 5,042

36.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$0.91 FCFA 522

284.62%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.92 FCFA 525

57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.90 FCFA 514

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.33 FCFA 766

121.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.78 FCFA 1,023

153.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.79 FCFA 2,175

-62.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.34 FCFA 194

441.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.60 FCFA 2,065

-56.39%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.16 FCFA 1,239

16.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.60 FCFA 2,069

130.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.97 FCFA 4,000

20.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$3.63 FCFA 2,086

194.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$4.81 FCFA 2,759

-45.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.15 FCFA 1,233

-33.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.66 FCFA 1,528

-26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.56 FCFA 1,471

-18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.62 FCFA 931

14.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.66 FCFA 955

30.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.54 FCFA 312

90.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$2.10 FCFA 1,208

-49.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$0.99 FCFA 570

314.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.98 FCFA 4,582

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.37 FCFA 784

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.73 FCFA 992

46.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.45 FCFA 259

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$86.8 FCFA 49.8K

-69.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.46 FCFA 264

602.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.41 FCFA 236

487.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.32 FCFA 3,052

-39.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.10 FCFA 633

20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$12.1K FCFA 7.0M

144.92%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$11.2K FCFA 6.4M

110.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.26 FCFA 15.1K

-12.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$440 FCFA 252.5K

-93.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

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

$197 MX$3,438

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$25.97 FCFA 14.9K

37.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$35.32 FCFA 20.3K

14.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$44.78 FCFA 25.7K

75.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$88.7 FCFA 50.9K

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$1,479 FCFA 849.4K

-35.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$89.6 FCFA 51.4K

429.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$261 FCFA 149.7K

530.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$173 FCFA 99.6K

598.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$343 FCFA 197.1K

90.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.5

226.29%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for N'Djamena: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $1,479 in N'Djamena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 91% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 N'Djamena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

N'Djamena is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,479 in N'Djamena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 233% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,057 in N'Djamena versus $1,256 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.