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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,115 in Buzau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,568 in Buzau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,020 in Buzau.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 13% more expensive than in Buzau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Buzau 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$12.27 RON 56.3

-2.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$25.22 RON 116

65.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.79 RON 26.59

85.66%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.81 RON 12.89

24.56%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.98 RON 9.09

-26.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.58 RON 7.26

-44.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.28 RON 15.07

-10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.52 RON 16.16

28.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.55 RON 7.13

-7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.36 RON 6.24

35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.70 RON 7.80

-7.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.35 RON 15.37

-25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$8.70 RON 39.93

-4.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.59 RON 30.24

27.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.03 RON 46.04

6.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.96 RON 4.40

171.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.61 RON 7.37

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.18 RON 5.42

66.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.72 RON 7.89

21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.87 RON 4.00

112.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.06 RON 4.87

104.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.61 RON 2.79

68.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.59 RON 2.72

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.59 RON 25.66

-26.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.59 RON 30.24

54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.05 RON 4.83

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.68 RON 7.70

50.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.70 RON 3.21

-27.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$19.62 RON 90.1

32.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.69 RON 3.15

368.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.70 RON 3.22

244.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$7.11 RON 32.64

-54.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.63 RON 7.49

-19.02%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$21.6K RON 98.9K

37.78%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$22.7K RON 104.2K

4.20%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$126 RON 577

-34.75%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.41 RON 29.44

258.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$8.76 RON 40.23

243.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$37.26 RON 171

39.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$19.99 RON 91.8

-7.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.86 RON 26.90

-15.02%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$339 RON 1,554

-41.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,608 RON 30.3K

-19.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$61.4 RON 282

-42.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$43.38 RON 199

-7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$96.7 RON 444

-18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$96.7 RON 444

-8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$430 RON 1,975

120.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$369 RON 1,696

28.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$633 RON 2,908

159.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$462 RON 2,121

161.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,524 RON 6,995

166.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,220 RON 5,599

430.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$899 RON 4,127

-27.26%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Buzau: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $430 in Buzau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buzau pays 37% 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 $25.00 in Buzau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $202 per month, with Buzau cheaper across the board.

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 Buzau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Buzau differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,115 including rent). Buzau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Buzau. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 in Buzau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Buzau – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,115 in Buzau versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buzau but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Buzau 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.

Expats usually find Buzau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.