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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $677 in Orhei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,063 in Orhei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,449 in Orhei.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 90% more expensive than Orhei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Orhei 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$8.65 MDL 149

38.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.24 MDL 625

17.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.43 MDL 128

42.53%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.87 MDL 32.34

93.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.93 MDL 16.08

58.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.65 MDL 11.15

44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.73 MDL 29.92

78.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.40 MDL 41.33

85.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.29 MDL 22.26

10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.52 MDL 9.03

261.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.46 MDL 25.18

11.64%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.59 MDL 44.71

1.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.56 MDL 182

-22.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.49 MDL 94.6

51.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.73 MDL 151

27.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$0.90 MDL 15.61

194.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.84 MDL 31.76

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.72 MDL 29.68

15.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.06 MDL 35.61

0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.84 MDL 14.45

113.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.56 MDL 9.65

289.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.31 MDL 22.60

-17.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.83 MDL 14.34

25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.20 MDL 55.2

24.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.20 MDL 20.78

44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.99 MDL 34.31

25.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.18 MDL 3.05

188.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.01 MDL 34.70

56.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.25 MDL 4.28

860.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.28 MDL 91.0

-41.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.42 MDL 24.43

-10.56%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$32.5K MDL 560.0K

-4.87%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.4K MDL 542.4K

-25.86%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$173 MDL 2,979

-52.51%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$7.41 MDL 128

202.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$10.68 MDL 184

177.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$7.43 MDL 128

-33.11%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$389 MDL 6,706

-49.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,585 MDL 130.8K

-30.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$66.9 MDL 1,154

-45.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$53.1 MDL 916

-24.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$114 MDL 1,966

-29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$121 MDL 2,089

-26.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Orhei: April 25, 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 $251 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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,016 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $677 in Orhei – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $677 in Orhei versus $1,287 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 90% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.