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: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Focsani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,714 in Focsani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,367 in Focsani.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Focsani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Focsani 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$7.88 RON 35.39

65.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$44.06 RON 198

4.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$7.77 RON 34.91

62.03%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$1.93 RON 8.67

107.25%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.72 RON 7.72

-17.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$1.28 RON 5.77

-36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.81 RON 8.11

68.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$2.58 RON 11.58

164.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.76 RON 7.90

-2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.19 RON 5.36

86.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.34 RON 6.00

28.36%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$3.28 RON 14.75

-17.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$9.18 RON 41.23

2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$7.37 RON 33.11

20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$11.04 RON 49.61

15.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.27 RON 5.71

146.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.63 RON 7.30

-4.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.57 RON 7.07

36.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.29 RON 10.27

2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.84 RON 3.77

140.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.79 RON 3.57

151.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.59 RON 2.66

110.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.79 RON 3.53

50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$6.14 RON 27.57

-24.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$4.45 RON 20.01

135.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.20 RON 5.40

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.57 RON 7.06

85.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.80 RON 3.57

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$16.45 RON 73.9

80.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.63 RON 2.83

744.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.63 RON 2.85

490.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$6.56 RON 29.47

-11.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.67 RON 7.51

-7.19%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$26.4K RON 118.6K

-15.30%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$26.0K RON 116.8K

-1.67%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$175 RON 787

-49.05%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$8.55 RON 38.42

172.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$9.97 RON 44.77

218.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$28.48 RON 128

141.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$38.09 RON 171

-22.81%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$8.81 RON 39.58

-42.57%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$324 RON 1,455

-31.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$13.8K RON 62.1K

-68.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$89.6 RON 402

-48.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$38.91 RON 175

14.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$86.2 RON 387

10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$101 RON 454

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$396 RON 1,779

169.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$309 RON 1,390

27.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$961 RON 4,316

106.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$681 RON 3,060

91.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,117 RON 5,017

261.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$921 RON 4,137

619.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$724 RON 3,253

3.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

6.85

69.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Focsani: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $396 in Focsani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Focsani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $213 per month, with Focsani 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 Focsani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Focsani wins on cost – living expenses run 25% 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.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $396 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 $44.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Focsani – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Focsani versus $1,330 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 $1,061 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.