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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $973 in Focsani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,488 in Focsani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,003 in Focsani.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than Focsani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Focsani 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.30 RON 37.54

43.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$46.60 RON 211

-7.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.60 RON 25.35

90.18%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.82 RON 8.23

89.56%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.63 RON 7.36

-7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.37 RON 6.19

-30.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.88 RON 8.52

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.73 RON 12.34

68.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.48 RON 6.72

-6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.82 RON 3.72

125.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.75 RON 7.92

-8.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.85 RON 12.91

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.49 RON 38.43

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.07 RON 31.99

18.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$11.76 RON 53.2

-9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.98 RON 4.41

168.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.41 RON 6.38

5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.40 RON 6.35

37.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.24 RON 10.12

-6.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.72 RON 3.25

158.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.96 RON 4.35

135.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.60 RON 2.73

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.77 RON 3.48

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.71 RON 25.84

-27.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.46 RON 20.15

132.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.11 RON 5.01

54.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.16 RON 5.25

125.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.60 RON 2.71

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$14.19 RON 64.2

89.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.76 RON 3.44

311.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.75 RON 3.40

234.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.87 RON 31.08

-54.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.56 RON 7.06

-18.59%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$28.4K RON 128.3K

7.12%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.9K RON 126.4K

-15.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$167 RON 755

-50.27%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.00 RON 36.17

183.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.78 RON 39.73

235.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$17.02 RON 77.0

199.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$19.33 RON 87.4

-5.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.07 RON 50.1

-55.47%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$422 RON 1,907

-53.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,472 RON 29.3K

-18.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$67.0 RON 303

-44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.40 RON 196

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$57.0 RON 258

40.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$69.1 RON 313

29.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$349 RON 1,576

174.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$273 RON 1,233

74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$577 RON 2,611

185.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$440 RON 1,992

178.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,115 RON 5,044

251.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$905 RON 4,093

613.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$707 RON 3,198

-5.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.5

75.69%

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 Focsani: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $349 in Focsani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Focsani pays 6% 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 $47.00 in Focsani. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $200, with Focsani 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 Focsani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Focsani wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Focsani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Focsani earns 6% 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 $349 in Focsani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Focsani – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $973 in Focsani – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $973 in Focsani versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Focsani but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Focsani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Focsani delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $973 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Focsani hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Focsani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.