Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Chisinau

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,316 in Chisinau, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chisinau outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Chisinau
Learn more

Chisinau Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Chisinau

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,316

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,316 in Chisinau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Chisinau $1,316

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,991 in Chisinau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Chisinau $1,991

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,666 in Chisinau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Chisinau $2,666

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Chisinau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Chisinau 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$11.34 MDL 202

-3.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$56.7 MDL 1,010

-23.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$8.14 MDL 145

44.72%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$2.19 MDL 39.06

73.97%

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

$1.28 MX$24.04

$1.22 MDL 21.67

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.68

$0.90 MDL 15.99

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.4

$2.20 MDL 39.24

44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$1.92 MDL 34.27

156.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.37

$1.26 MDL 22.54

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.57

$0.71 MDL 12.74

212.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.57

$1.40 MDL 24.93

1.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.30

$2.72 MDL 48.47

-7.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$9.70 MDL 173

-25.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.00 MDL 89.2

54.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$8.77 MDL 156

44.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$0.97 MDL 17.33

186.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.65

$1.93 MDL 34.44

-29.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.83

$2.01 MDL 35.89

26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.81

$2.16 MDL 38.44

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.34

$0.65 MDL 11.63

198.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.36

$0.56 MDL 10.03

237.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.50

$1.30 MDL 23.14

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.11

$0.89 MDL 15.93

32.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.31 MDL 59.0

29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$4.82 MDL 85.9

106.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.69

$1.22 MDL 21.66

29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.89 MDL 33.72

41.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$0.38 MDL 6.73

44.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$13.55 MDL 242

96.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.2

$2.27 MDL 40.46

118.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.34 MDL 6.13

879.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$4.94 MDL 88.1

8.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.07

$1.65 MDL 29.47

-12.73%

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

$20.7K MX$387.5K

$29.8K MDL 531.9K

-30.72%

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

$23.5K MX$440.0K

$27.6K MDL 492.9K

-15.12%

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

$84.8 MX$1,590

$241 MDL 4,289

-64.75%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$9.32 MDL 166

151.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$10.33 MDL 184

177.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,070

$42.89 MDL 765

33.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$20.55 MDL 366

40.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.4

$8.33 MDL 149

-38.30%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$430 MDL 7,660

-51.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$5,720 MDL 102.0K

-31.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$813

$78.1 MDL 1,392

-44.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$45.91 MDL 819

-9.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,391

$112 MDL 2,006

-34.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,673

$117 MDL 2,083

-23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$691 MDL 12.3K

41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,140

$463 MDL 8,252

-17.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$1,257 MDL 22.4K

35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$803 MDL 14.3K

33.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$2,585 MDL 46.1K

52.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.5K

$1,861 MDL 33.2K

230.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$864 MDL 15.4K

-15.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.17

24.86%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chisinau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Chisinau

$463 35.2% 21.5% $82

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Chisinau

$190 14.5% 25.2% $64

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Chisinau

$165 12.5% 18.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Chisinau

$260 19.8% 90.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Chisinau

$159 12.1% 42.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Chisinau

$60 4.5% 11.5% $7.8

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Chisinau

$19 1.5% 62.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $691 in Chisinau. 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 18% higher in Chisinau. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $57 in Chisinau. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $190 in Chisinau – so Chisinau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇩 Chisinau

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

21:03 9:03 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

750,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 MDL = 5.61 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 17.83 MDL (100 MDL = 5.61 USD). 1 EUR = 19.9 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Chisinau 10,140 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Chisinau

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 Chisinau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Chisinau is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,974 in Chisinau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chisinau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 25% cheaper in Chisinau – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $57 in Chisinau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,316 in Chisinau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,316 in Chisinau. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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