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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,062 in N'Djamena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,424 in N'Djamena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,786 in N'Djamena.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 22% more expensive than N'Djamena, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, N'Djamena 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.02 FCFA 5,090

30.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$0.86 FCFA 483

309.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.92 FCFA 517

64.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.91 FCFA 515

6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.30 FCFA 735

126.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.74 FCFA 983

155.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$3.66 FCFA 2,067

-62.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$0.36 FCFA 206

425.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$3.60 FCFA 2,031

-54.44%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$2.17 FCFA 1,222

15.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.52 FCFA 1,984

136.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.12 FCFA 4,018

17.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$3.80 FCFA 2,144

182.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$4.72 FCFA 2,666

-44.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$2.18 FCFA 1,229

-33.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$2.70 FCFA 1,525

-29.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$2.47 FCFA 1,391

-15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.68 FCFA 948

5.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.67 FCFA 944

31.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.52 FCFA 292

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.10 FCFA 1,187

-48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$1.00 FCFA 563

308.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.99 FCFA 4,510

29.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$1.36 FCFA 765

25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.71 FCFA 967

50.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.43 FCFA 241

18.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$87.2 FCFA 49.2K

-69.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.43 FCFA 241

658.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.38 FCFA 215

555.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$5.27 FCFA 2,975

-38.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.14 FCFA 644

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$12.3K FCFA 6.9M

146.23%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$11.2K FCFA 6.3M

109.93%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

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

$22.22 MX$384

$26.00 FCFA 14.7K

-14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$437 FCFA 246.9K

-93.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

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

$201 MX$3,470

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$26.69 FCFA 15.1K

38.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$35.78 FCFA 20.2K

11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$44.02 FCFA 24.8K

78.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$88.7 FCFA 50.0K

-1.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$1,501 FCFA 847.3K

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$87.7 FCFA 49.5K

433.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$269 FCFA 151.8K

510.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$174 FCFA 98.1K

602.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$351 FCFA 198.1K

89.12%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for N'Djamena: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,501 in N'Djamena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 89% 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 89% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,501 in N'Djamena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 229% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,062 in N'Djamena versus $1,297 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.