Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Roman

For one person, living is cheaper in Roman: $842 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Roman
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Roman Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Roman

🇷🇴 Romania

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Roman

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Roman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $842 in Roman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Roman $842

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,393 in Roman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Roman $1,393

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,944 in Roman, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Roman $1,944

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Roman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Roman are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Roman 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$10.46 RON 49.99

2.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$33.05 RON 158

32.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$7.27 RON 34.72

62.17%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.54 RON 12.13

49.21%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.35 RON 6.44

-3.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.04 RON 4.96

-20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.14 RON 10.23

47.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$2.18 RON 10.41

126.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.18 RON 5.65

19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$0.66 RON 3.16

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$1.43 RON 6.85

2.80%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.91 RON 13.91

-14.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$7.85 RON 37.52

-7.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$5.76 RON 27.52

38.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$8.25 RON 39.42

55.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.07 RON 5.09

171.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.49 RON 7.14

-7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.39 RON 6.62

79.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$1.83 RON 8.74

10.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$0.68 RON 3.27

197.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.83 RON 3.96

128.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.81 RON 3.88

40.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.73 RON 3.47

69.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$5.32 RON 25.40

-19.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$5.38 RON 25.72

82.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$0.96 RON 4.58

65.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.17 RON 5.61

135.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.74 RON 3.55

-31.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$20.48 RON 97.9

33.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$0.65 RON 3.12

632.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.65 RON 3.10

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$7.36 RON 35.16

-26.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.82 RON 8.70

-15.93%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$28.3K RON 135.3K

-25.07%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$24.7K RON 118.2K

-6.00%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$147 RON 703

-43.25%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$6.70 RON 32.02

246.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$8.03 RON 38.38

243.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$37.42 RON 179

50.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$17.23 RON 82.3

63.61%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$6.26 RON 29.89

-20.13%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$290 RON 1,384

-28.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$6,433 RON 30.7K

-18.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$96.0 RON 459

-54.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$25.20 RON 120

68.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$61.6 RON 294

18.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$58.4 RON 279

51.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$213 RON 1,020

366.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$159 RON 758

140.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$611 RON 2,921

173.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$459 RON 2,193

135.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$1,818 RON 8,689

114.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$1,519 RON 7,258

304.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$828 RON 3,956

0.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.2

59.03%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Roman: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Roman

$159 18.8% 58.5% $224

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Roman

$176 20.8% 31.8% $82

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Roman

$161 19.1% 19.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Roman

$162 19.2% 20.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Roman

$109 12.9% 2.4% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Roman

$50 5.9% 24.8% $17

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Roman

$27 3.3% 45.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $213 in Roman. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $33 in Roman. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $176 – making Roman the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇴 Roman

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

80,328

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Roman 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Roman

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,264 in Roman. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roman, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $213 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $842 in Roman. That makes Roman about 30% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Roman. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Roman, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Roman it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $842 in Roman to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Roman is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.