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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,115 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,639 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,163 in Craiova.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Craiova 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.96 RON 40.53

32.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$46.48 RON 210

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.99 RON 36.16

33.29%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.59 RON 11.73

33.20%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.09 RON 9.44

-28.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.87 RON 8.44

-49.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.35 RON 10.61

28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.52 RON 15.94

30.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.51 RON 6.84

-8.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.00 RON 4.51

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.71 RON 7.72

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.27 RON 14.78

-20.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.76 RON 35.10

6.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.54 RON 29.60

27.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.45 RON 42.75

12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.28 RON 5.80

105.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.69 RON 7.64

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.57 RON 7.11

22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.87 RON 8.47

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.03 RON 4.68

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.12 RON 5.07

101.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.80 RON 3.61

32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.80 RON 3.64

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.03 RON 27.26

-31.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.00 RON 27.16

73.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.31 RON 5.95

31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.26 RON 10.24

15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.67 RON 3.02

-19.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$23.28 RON 105

15.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.57 RON 2.58

449.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.83 RON 3.77

202.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.10 RON 32.12

-55.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.61 RON 7.27

-21.12%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.5K RON 124.6K

10.26%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.8K RON 125.9K

-15.34%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$212 RON 957

-60.78%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.06 RON 36.48

181.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.54 RON 52.2

155.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.06 RON 163

41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$18.75 RON 84.8

-2.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.69 RON 30.28

-26.31%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$436 RON 1,971

-54.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,920 RON 40.4K

-40.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$80.5 RON 364

-54.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$36.68 RON 166

8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$78.5 RON 355

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$87.8 RON 397

1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$387 RON 1,751

146.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$307 RON 1,389

55.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$727 RON 3,287

126.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$448 RON 2,028

173.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,639 RON 11.9K

48.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,047 RON 9,260

215.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$998 RON 4,516

-33.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.28

81.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Craiova: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $387 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Craiova. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $203, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Craiova earns 50% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $387 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,115 in Craiova – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,115 in Craiova versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,115 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.