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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $683 in Orhei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Orhei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,470 in Orhei.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 86% more expensive than Orhei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Orhei 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.03 MDL 156

31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$35.89 MDL 620

19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.64 MDL 132

39.40%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.81 MDL 31.32

90.61%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.98 MDL 16.94

53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.64 MDL 11.01

48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.80 MDL 31.04

68.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.27 MDL 39.26

103.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.22 MDL 21.13

13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.56 MDL 9.66

230.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.47 MDL 25.33

9.52%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.52 MDL 43.48

2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.25 MDL 177

-19.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.57 MDL 96.2

50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.66 MDL 150

23.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.91 MDL 15.76

189.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.76 MDL 30.36

-15.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.77 MDL 30.57

8.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.16 MDL 37.36

-3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.77 MDL 13.34

141.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.58 MDL 10.08

289.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.32 MDL 22.78

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.84 MDL 14.47

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.17 MDL 54.7

30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 MDL 22.01

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.98 MDL 34.17

31.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.16 MDL 2.68

237.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.10 MDL 36.23

49.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.27 MDL 4.69

829.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$5.25 MDL 90.7

-40.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.42 MDL 24.51

-10.56%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$31.6K MDL 545.4K

-3.83%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.9K MDL 533.6K

-23.73%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$171 MDL 2,955

-51.50%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.62 MDL 132

198.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.96 MDL 189

168.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.49 MDL 129

-34.18%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$386 MDL 6,666

-48.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,640 MDL 131.9K

-30.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$65.2 MDL 1,127

-43.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$53.4 MDL 922

-25.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$114 MDL 1,967

-29.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$124 MDL 2,139

-27.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.24

23.59%

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 Orhei: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Orhei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $181 per month, with Orhei 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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orhei is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,024 in Orhei to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $683 in Orhei – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $683 in Orhei versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Orhei but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Orhei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Orhei is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Orhei 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 Orhei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.