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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $942 in Focsani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,457 in Focsani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,972 in Focsani.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than Focsani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Focsani 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$7.98 RON 34.70

49.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$45.77 RON 199

-6.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$5.92 RON 25.73

78.89%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.82 RON 7.90

98.90%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.65 RON 7.19

-10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$1.37 RON 5.94

-31.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.82 RON 7.92

69.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$2.81 RON 12.22

58.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.54 RON 6.71

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.77 RON 3.36

144.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.81 RON 7.89

-9.94%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.83 RON 12.31

-6.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.39 RON 36.51

-2.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.88 RON 29.91

20.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.14 RON 52.8

-8.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$0.98 RON 4.26

170.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.34 RON 5.85

11.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.36 RON 5.90

46.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.36 RON 10.28

-11.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.66 RON 2.87

171.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.96 RON 4.20

127.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.60 RON 2.59

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.84 RON 3.67

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$5.92 RON 25.74

-32.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.70 RON 20.45

117.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.14 RON 4.94

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.17 RON 5.08

113.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.56 RON 2.44

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$14.66 RON 63.8

83.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$0.71 RON 3.07

342.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$0.77 RON 3.33

211.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$7.04 RON 30.61

-56.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.63 RON 7.10

-22.09%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$27.9K RON 121.5K

10.61%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$28.3K RON 123.2K

-17.69%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$165 RON 719

-50.39%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$8.33 RON 36.24

169.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$8.93 RON 38.86

232.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$17.58 RON 76.5

195.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$19.02 RON 82.8

-1.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$10.96 RON 47.65

-54.65%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$409 RON 1,777

-51.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$6,614 RON 28.8K

-20.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$67.8 RON 295

-46.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$42.73 RON 186

-6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$57.8 RON 251

38.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$71.1 RON 309

24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$346 RON 1,506

178.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$271 RON 1,178

71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$583 RON 2,537

173.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$436 RON 1,897

177.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,176 RON 5,116

235.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$943 RON 4,103

583.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$759 RON 3,300

-5.04%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Focsani: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $346 in Focsani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Focsani pays 5% 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 Focsani. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $202, 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 37% 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 5% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $346 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 $46.00 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $942 in Focsani – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $942 in Focsani versus $1,287 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 $942 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 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.