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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,104 in N'Djamena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,481 in N'Djamena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,859 in N'Djamena.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 17% 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 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$8.67 FCFA 4,894

35.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$0.90 FCFA 510

354.44%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.87 FCFA 491

57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.91 FCFA 516

-8.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$1.36 FCFA 765

146.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$1.81 FCFA 1,021

281.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$3.83 FCFA 2,163

-54.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.33 FCFA 189

584.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$3.59 FCFA 2,024

-50.70%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$2.09 FCFA 1,181

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$3.49 FCFA 1,969

163.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$7.27 FCFA 4,104

22.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$3.78 FCFA 2,135

233.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$4.77 FCFA 2,691

-36.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.23 FCFA 1,258

-29.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$2.74 FCFA 1,545

-22.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$2.55 FCFA 1,439

-11.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.70 FCFA 958

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.63 FCFA 922

26.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.56 FCFA 314

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$2.17 FCFA 1,225

-44.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$1.04 FCFA 589

345.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.11 FCFA 4,577

31.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.23 FCFA 695

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$1.82 FCFA 1,026

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.42 FCFA 239

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$87.2 FCFA 49.2K

-65.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.46 FCFA 259

1084.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.42 FCFA 240

780.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$5.23 FCFA 2,949

14.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.36 FCFA 767

13.97%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$12.3K FCFA 7.0M

80.84%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$11.4K FCFA 6.4M

128.04%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$44.61 FCFA 25.2K

99.80%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$26.91 FCFA 15.2K

-6.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$446 FCFA 251.9K

-92.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

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

$225 MX$3,802

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$26.65 FCFA 15.0K

78.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$34.85 FCFA 19.7K

29.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$44.38 FCFA 25.0K

84.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$87.1 FCFA 49.2K

5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,742 FCFA 983.1K

-38.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$89.0 FCFA 50.2K

355.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$263 FCFA 148.1K

637.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$174 FCFA 98.2K

648.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$357 FCFA 201.6K

109.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.5

227.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for N'Djamena: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,742 in N'Djamena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 110% 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 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,742 in N'Djamena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 192% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,104 in N'Djamena versus $1,293 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 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.