Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in N'Djamena: $1,080 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
53

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

N'Djamena

🇹🇩 Chad

$1,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in N'Djamena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,080 in N'Djamena.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
N'Djamena $1,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,438 in N'Djamena.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
N'Djamena $1,438

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,796 in N'Djamena.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
N'Djamena $1,796

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 12% more expensive than in N'Djamena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.35 FCFA 4,867

30.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$0.87 FCFA 505

322.99%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.88 FCFA 514

52.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.82 FCFA 480

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.31 FCFA 764

133.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.75 FCFA 1,019

182.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$3.71 FCFA 2,166

-60.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.35 FCFA 206

534.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$3.44 FCFA 2,005

-56.98%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.01 FCFA 1,173

23.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$3.52 FCFA 2,051

113.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$7.03 FCFA 4,097

13.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$3.52 FCFA 2,053

257.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.82 FCFA 2,810

-42.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.12 FCFA 1,235

-32.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.52 FCFA 1,472

3.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.49 FCFA 1,450

-14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.57 FCFA 913

28.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.56 FCFA 907

27.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.53 FCFA 308

115.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.09 FCFA 1,220

-42.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$0.96 FCFA 562

343.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.54 FCFA 4,397

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.18 FCFA 687

30.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.73 FCFA 1,006

53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.42 FCFA 244

26.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$84.0 FCFA 49.0K

-67.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.44 FCFA 259

1013.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.41 FCFA 241

736.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$5.27 FCFA 3,070

2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.26 FCFA 735

15.08%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$11.7K FCFA 6.8M

81.12%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$11.1K FCFA 6.5M

107.30%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$42.43 FCFA 24.7K

101.18%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$25.22 FCFA 14.7K

-6.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$424 FCFA 247.0K

-93.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$25.94 FCFA 15.1K

71.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$33.87 FCFA 19.7K

22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$42.64 FCFA 24.9K

70.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$85.1 FCFA 49.6K

5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,712 FCFA 998.5K

-42.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$85.2 FCFA 49.7K

337.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$256 FCFA 149.1K

557.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$170 FCFA 99.4K

542.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$347 FCFA 202.6K

112.30%

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: October 17, 2026

Last update for N'Djamena: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

N'Djamena

$85 7.9% 77.1% $288

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

N'Djamena

$238 22% 8.1% $21

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

N'Djamena

$94 * 8.7% 53% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

N'Djamena

$491 45.5% 258% $354

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

N'Djamena

$84 7.8% 24.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

N'Djamena

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

N'Djamena

$88 8.2% 70.6% $36

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 $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $1,712 in N'Djamena. 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

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇩 N'Djamena

🕒 Local time

05:00 5:00 AM

11:00 11:00 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,092,066 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
N'Djamena

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 N'Djamena: 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.

Average pay runs 117% 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,712 in N'Djamena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% 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 202% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,080 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.