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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $680 in Orhei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,065 in Orhei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,449 in Orhei.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$204

$9.02 MDL 158

29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$36.51 MDL 640

14.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.69 MDL 135

36.67%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.80 MDL 31.54

99.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.99 MDL 17.38

52.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.68 MDL 11.95

35.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.73 MDL 30.35

71.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.29 MDL 40.23

92.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.30 MDL 22.72

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.56 MDL 9.88

235.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.44 MDL 25.28

8.33%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.55 MDL 44.66

2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$10.21 MDL 179

-18.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$5.41 MDL 94.9

54.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.65 MDL 152

25.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$0.89 MDL 15.55

204.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.76 MDL 30.89

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.73 MDL 30.31

8.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.16 MDL 37.97

1.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.83 MDL 14.59

124.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.60 MDL 10.48

271.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.36 MDL 23.91

-21.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.85 MDL 14.83

28.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$3.15 MDL 55.3

33.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.22 MDL 21.35

36.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.92 MDL 33.71

35.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.18 MDL 3.21

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$2.06 MDL 36.22

49.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.27 MDL 4.78

788.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$5.13 MDL 90.1

-38.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.43 MDL 25.10

-8.39%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$32.7K MDL 573.4K

-8.81%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$31.0K MDL 543.9K

-24.78%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$173 MDL 3,039

-53.08%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$7.64 MDL 134

195.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$10.90 MDL 191

175.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$7.72 MDL 135

-36.27%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$396 MDL 6,942

-49.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$7,745 MDL 135.9K

-33.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$66.5 MDL 1,166

-45.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$53.3 MDL 934

-24.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$112 MDL 1,968

-28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$121 MDL 2,128

-28.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Orhei: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Orhei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $180 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 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,020 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 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $680 in Orhei – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $680 in Orhei versus $1,260 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 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.