Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Brasov Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Brasov

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,265 in Brasov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,970 in Brasov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,675 in Brasov.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 3% more expensive than Brasov, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Brasov 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$12.18 RON 55.1

-3.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$49.75 RON 225

-16.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.19 RON 37.02

29.91%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.47 RON 15.69

1.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.95 RON 8.81

-22.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$2.10 RON 9.48

-53.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$3.25 RON 14.67

-9.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.50 RON 15.80

27.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.49 RON 6.72

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.33 RON 6.02

42.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.75 RON 7.89

-6.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.39 RON 15.32

-25.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$8.49 RON 38.38

-1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.96 RON 31.46

19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$11.91 RON 53.8

-9.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.19 RON 5.39

118.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.64 RON 7.39

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.60 RON 7.24

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.53 RON 11.43

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.95 RON 4.30

87.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.07 RON 4.82

104.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.88 RON 3.99

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.85 RON 3.83

27.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$5.82 RON 26.30

-29.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.03 RON 40.82

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.14 RON 5.14

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.66 RON 7.50

55.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.91 RON 4.11

-43.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$19.00 RON 85.9

39.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.77 RON 3.47

323.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.60 RON 2.73

315.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.88 RON 31.10

-52.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.59 RON 7.20

-17.61%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.7K RON 125.4K

9.15%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$27.4K RON 123.9K

-14.52%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$167 RON 754

-50.35%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$7.88 RON 35.63

181.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$9.28 RON 41.94

216.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$59.8 RON 270

-13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.86 RON 71.7

15.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$10.84 RON 48.99

-53.23%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$441 RON 1,995

-54.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,608 RON 29.9K

-21.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$65.8 RON 297

-43.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$42.49 RON 192

-6.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$95.8 RON 433

-18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$97.2 RON 440

-10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$621 RON 2,808

56.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$419 RON 1,892

11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,051 RON 4,751

56.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$701 RON 3,171

74.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$3,190 RON 14.4K

23.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$2,490 RON 11.3K

160.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,082 RON 4,892

-38.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.7

48.31%

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 Brasov: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $621 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasov pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Brasov. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $225, with Brasov cheaper for home cooking.

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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Brasov differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,265 including rent). Brasov is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Brasov earns 63% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $621 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasov – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,265 in Brasov – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Brasov versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov 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, Playa del Carmen and Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.