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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Craiova.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,775 in Craiova.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,331 in Craiova.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Craiova, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Craiova 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.47 RON 34.28

55.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$37.52 RON 172

25.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.73 RON 35.45

53.69%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.87 RON 13.18

38.68%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$2.31 RON 10.59

-38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$1.90 RON 8.73

-56.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$2.45 RON 11.26

30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.61 RON 16.58

88.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.32 RON 6.06

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.92 RON 4.22

139.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.50 RON 6.86

14.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.44 RON 15.77

-20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.54 RON 34.60

27.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.70 RON 30.73

34.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.65 RON 53.5

9.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.04 RON 4.79

177.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.52 RON 6.99

-1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.52 RON 6.99

41.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$1.90 RON 8.71

18.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.86 RON 3.92

130.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.94 RON 4.32

111.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.77 RON 3.51

59.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.74 RON 3.38

62.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$6.70 RON 30.75

-32.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$6.74 RON 30.90

53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.18 RON 5.44

37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.60 RON 7.36

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.89 RON 4.08

-32.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$26.08 RON 120

10.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.63 RON 2.88

755.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.64 RON 2.91

482.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$6.62 RON 30.37

-12.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.88 RON 8.61

-18.09%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$29.6K RON 136.0K

-23.92%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$27.3K RON 125.1K

-4.44%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$206 RON 947

-55.71%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$10.52 RON 48.28

139.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$11.68 RON 53.6

167.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$41.43 RON 190

62.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$22.75 RON 104

27.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$7.91 RON 36.28

-38.56%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$441 RON 2,025

-49.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$8,696 RON 39.9K

-51.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$58.8 RON 270

-19.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$49.69 RON 228

-10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$82.6 RON 379

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$108 RON 497

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$536 RON 2,460

98.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$401 RON 1,840

-2.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$921 RON 4,225

133.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$618 RON 2,836

105.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$2,767 RON 12.7K

44.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$2,050 RON 9,407

217.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$981 RON 4,500

-22.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.84

67.40%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Craiova: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $536 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $202 per month, with Craiova 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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 4% 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, salaries run 29% lower in Craiova. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $536 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Craiova – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,219 in Craiova versus $1,266 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 $1,219 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.