Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasov and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,310 in Brasov, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brasov outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,310

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brasov and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,310 in Brasov versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Brasov $1,310
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,115 in Brasov versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Brasov $2,115
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,920 in Brasov versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Brasov $2,920
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Brasov is roughly 8% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasov 3% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 RON 51.6

$10.76 MX$199

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 RON 249

$43.03 MX$795

22.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 RON 35.42

$11.79 MX$218

-36.47%

Cappuccino

$3.58 RON 16.93

$3.87 MX$71.4

-7.49%

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

$2.42 RON 11.43

$1.37 MX$25.29

76.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 RON 10.44

$0.84 MX$15.44

163.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 RON 14.97

$3.10 MX$57.3

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 RON 15.76

$5.07 MX$93.6

-34.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 RON 7.21

$1.44 MX$26.55

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 RON 6.71

$2.23 MX$41.23

-36.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 RON 8.42

$1.47 MX$27.17

21.09%

Eggs

$3.60 RON 17.01

$2.53 MX$46.71

42.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 RON 41.39

$7.30 MX$135

19.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 RON 32.87

$7.86 MX$145

-11.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 RON 59.1

$12.79 MX$236

-2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 RON 7.00

$2.90 MX$53.6

-48.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 RON 7.30

$1.44 MX$26.53

6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 RON 7.68

$2.55 MX$47.07

-36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 RON 12.91

$2.06 MX$38.03

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.60

$2.00 MX$36.97

-62.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 RON 4.30

$2.01 MX$37.07

-54.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 RON 4.27

$1.19 MX$22.02

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.26 MX$23.23

-36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 RON 28.23

$4.40 MX$81.4

35.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.53 RON 35.63

$9.59 MX$177

-21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.81

$1.59 MX$29.41

-22.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 RON 8.57

$2.81 MX$51.9

-35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 RON 5.05

$0.57 MX$10.47

87.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.18 RON 110

$27.82 MX$514

-16.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 RON 2.98

$4.98 MX$92.1

-87.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 RON 2.94

$3.50 MX$64.6

-82.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 RON 31.05

$5.40 MX$99.8

21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 RON 9.08

$1.47 MX$27.08

30.61%

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

$28.2K RON 133.3K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

34.26%

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

$26.1K RON 123.6K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

9.25%

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

$179 RON 849

$84.2 MX$1,556

113.12%

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

$7.73 RON 36.56

$23.99 MX$443

-67.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.82 RON 41.74

$29.02 MX$536

-69.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 RON 269

$63.0 MX$1,164

-9.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.60 RON 64.4

$29.14 MX$539

-53.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 RON 43.19

$4.94 MX$91.3

84.82%

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

$450 RON 2,131

$204 MX$3,763

121.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,955 RON 32.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

76.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 RON 242

$43.60 MX$806

17.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 RON 165

$43.12 MX$797

-18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 RON 356

$75.8 MX$1,400

-0.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.7 RON 424

$88.6 MX$1,637

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 RON 3,197

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-32.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,235

$374 MX$6,911

26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 RON 6,228

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-22.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 RON 4,980

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-4.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,079 RON 14.6K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-21.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,386 RON 11.3K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-61.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,102 RON 5,212

$754 MX$13.9K

46.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

11.45

-37.12%

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

Last update for Brasov: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasov

$472 36.1%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 20.8% $98

Groceries & Markets

Brasov

$228 17.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 13.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasov

$196 15%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 30% $59

Eating Out

Brasov

$194 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 4.5% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Brasov

$113 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Brasov

$75 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 2.9% $2.2

Getting Around

Brasov

$31 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 68.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $676 in Brasov and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasov pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Brasov vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $258, with Brasov cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Brasov

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

8 h behind Brasov

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

253,200

149,923

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasov Playa del Carmen 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasov
Playa del Carmen

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

Brasov vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasov and Playa del Carmen differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,310 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% higher in Brasov, 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: $676 in Brasov versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $53.0 in Brasov. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,310 per month in Brasov versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,310 in Brasov, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brasov. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brasov and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Brasov. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.