Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Yaounde

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaounde: $782 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Yaounde
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Yaounde Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Yaounde

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $782 in Yaounde, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Yaounde $782

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,206 in Yaounde, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Yaounde $1,206

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,629 in Yaounde, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Yaounde $1,629

Playa del Carmen costs about 55% more than Yaounde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Yaounde are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Yaounde 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$3.50 FCFA 2,040

207.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$50.7 FCFA 29.6K

-15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.97 FCFA 2,896

137.22%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.87 FCFA 1,089

106.95%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.46 FCFA 854

-6.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.56 FCFA 324

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$1.20 FCFA 698

158.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$1.68 FCFA 980

201.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$3.62 FCFA 2,109

-60.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.03 FCFA 602

116.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.27 FCFA 743

15.75%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$2.02 FCFA 1,179

25.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$13.86 FCFA 8,080

-47.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$6.02 FCFA 3,509

30.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$6.42 FCFA 3,744

99.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$4.97 FCFA 2,899

-41.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.95 FCFA 1,139

-26.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.99 FCFA 1,159

28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$1.35 FCFA 786

52.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.63 FCFA 952

22.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.39 FCFA 813

44.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$1.12 FCFA 654

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.65 FCFA 381

93.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.68 FCFA 982

161.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$8.25 FCFA 4,808

16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.32 FCFA 772

20.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.94 FCFA 1,132

44.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.52 FCFA 305

9.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$17.19 FCFA 10.0K

61.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$0.62 FCFA 363

703.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.45 FCFA 261

677.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$5.87 FCFA 3,422

-8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.46 FCFA 848

0.68%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$32.6K FCFA 19.0M

-35.56%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$21.2K FCFA 12.4M

12.78%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$80.1 FCFA 46.7K

5.10%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$17.16 FCFA 10.0K

39.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$51.3 FCFA 29.9K

-43.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$23.85 FCFA 13.9K

164.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$6.93 FCFA 4,041

320.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$8.32 FCFA 4,849

-40.63%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$615 FCFA 358.4K

-66.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$2,333 FCFA 1.4M

68.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$16.75 FCFA 9,767

160.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$27.41 FCFA 16.0K

57.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$25.17 FCFA 14.7K

201.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$55.8 FCFA 32.6K

58.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$142 FCFA 83.0K

608.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$183 FCFA 106.7K

104.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$408 FCFA 238.1K

318.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$208 FCFA 121.2K

432.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$855 FCFA 498.8K

361.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$589 FCFA 343.7K

946.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$185 FCFA 107.8K

307.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-11.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Yaounde: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Yaounde

$183 23.4% 51.1% $191

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Yaounde

$249 31.8% 3.7% $9.6

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Yaounde

$83 10.6% 59.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Yaounde

$149 19% 8.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Yaounde

$56 7.2% 50.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Yaounde

$40 5.2% 44.4% $32

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Yaounde

$22 2.8% 57.9% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $142 in Yaounde. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 308% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $51.0 in Yaounde. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $249 in Yaounde – so Yaounde wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇲 Yaounde

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

01:32 1:32 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,817,524 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 Yaounde 10,750 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Yaounde

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 Yaounde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,173 in Yaounde. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yaounde, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $782 in Yaounde. That's a gap of about 55%.

Public transport costs about 62% less in Yaounde. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yaounde, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Yaounde it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yaounde – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Yaounde. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.