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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,217 in Chisinau, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,808 in Chisinau, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,399 in Chisinau, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 3% more than Chisinau, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Chisinau are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Chisinau 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.89 MDL 155

34.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.83 MDL 641

13.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.38 MDL 129

45.66%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.89 MDL 32.92

85.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.92 MDL 16.09

57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.70 MDL 12.14

25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.79 MDL 31.13

64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.33 MDL 40.49

93.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.28 MDL 22.21

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.56 MDL 9.80

228.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.49 MDL 26.01

5.37%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.61 MDL 45.52

-3.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.51 MDL 183

-21.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.36 MDL 93.3

57.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.89 MDL 155

20.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$0.85 MDL 14.79

207.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.81 MDL 31.58

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.77 MDL 30.81

10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.15 MDL 37.43

-2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.78 MDL 13.56

137.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.59 MDL 10.31

267.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.34 MDL 23.35

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.90 MDL 15.63

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.28 MDL 57.0

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.59 MDL 80.0

121.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.21 MDL 21.12

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.99 MDL 34.57

27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.36 MDL 6.29

41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$13.82 MDL 241

88.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.10 MDL 36.50

53.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.27 MDL 4.70

792.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.17 MDL 90.0

-37.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.38 MDL 24.06

-4.35%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$31.9K MDL 555.8K

-6.96%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$31.5K MDL 548.8K

-24.93%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$170 MDL 2,954

-51.66%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.34 MDL 128

212.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.78 MDL 188

179.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$43.85 MDL 764

18.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$21.97 MDL 383

-15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.45 MDL 130

-33.15%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$391 MDL 6,802

-49.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$7,516 MDL 130.9K

-29.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$67.0 MDL 1,166

-46.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$54.2 MDL 943

-25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$110 MDL 1,923

-28.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$122 MDL 2,133

-27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$673 MDL 11.7K

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$468 MDL 8,148

1.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,243 MDL 21.7K

32.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$822 MDL 14.3K

47.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,599 MDL 45.3K

56.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,879 MDL 32.7K

244.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$867 MDL 15.1K

-24.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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 Chisinau: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $673 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 33% higher in Chisinau, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Chisinau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $192 – making Chisinau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,826 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $37.00 in Chisinau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chisinau, where all-in costs run around $1,217, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Chisinau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chisinau – 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 Chisinau. 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.