Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sfantu Gheorghe

For one person, living is cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe: $813 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sfantu Gheorghe
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Sfantu Gheorghe Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sfantu Gheorghe

🇷🇴 Romania

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sfantu Gheorghe

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 Sfantu Gheorghe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $813 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sfantu Gheorghe $813

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,297 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,297

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,781 in Sfantu Gheorghe, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Sfantu Gheorghe $1,781

Playa del Carmen costs about 48% more than Sfantu Gheorghe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sfantu Gheorghe are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Sfantu Gheorghe 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$8.56 RON 40.51

26.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$41.50 RON 196

6.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.21 RON 34.10

63.11%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.54 RON 12.04

44.88%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.23 RON 5.81

8.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.07 RON 5.06

-23.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$2.48 RON 11.74

23.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.16 RON 10.20

128.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.39 RON 6.55

5.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.13 RON 5.36

96.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.40 RON 6.64

5.71%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.28 RON 15.52

-24.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$7.81 RON 36.97

-3.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$4.61 RON 21.83

72.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.72 RON 36.51

62.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.08 RON 5.11

157.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.51 RON 7.14

-5.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.17 RON 5.52

123.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.52 RON 11.92

-15.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.69 RON 3.27

192.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.60 RON 2.84

231.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.03 RON 4.86

10.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.81 RON 3.81

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.90 RON 23.17

-13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.42 RON 35.10

35.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.96 RON 4.56

60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.07 RON 5.05

148.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.87 RON 4.10

-39.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$15.61 RON 73.9

76.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.00 RON 4.72

390.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.88 RON 4.17

289.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$8.38 RON 39.63

-35.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.62 RON 7.68

-10.49%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$28.9K RON 136.9K

-26.86%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$24.9K RON 117.8K

-7.53%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$113 RON 536

-24.67%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$9.41 RON 44.53

149.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$12.23 RON 57.9

132.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$40.71 RON 193

52.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$20.72 RON 98.0

38.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$3.13 RON 14.80

62.94%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$444 RON 2,102

-54.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$6,646 RON 31.4K

-40.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$25.88 RON 122

71.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$13.62 RON 64.4

203.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$39.45 RON 187

84.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$63.3 RON 299

41.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$294 RON 1,389

233.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$212 RON 1,003

75.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$524 RON 2,479

220.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$401 RON 1,897

173.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,843 RON 8,718

114.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,362 RON 6,445

350.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$691 RON 3,271

6.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sfantu Gheorghe: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$212 26.1% 43.1% $161

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$184 22.6% 28.7% $74

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$147 18% 26.8% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$135 16.6% 1.7% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$64 7.9% 42.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$47 5.8% 35.1% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Sfantu Gheorghe

$24 3% 52.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $294 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 7% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $41.00 in Sfantu Gheorghe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $184 – making Sfantu Gheorghe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇴 Sfantu Gheorghe

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

56,006

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sfantu Gheorghe 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sfantu Gheorghe

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 Sfantu Gheorghe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,220 in Sfantu Gheorghe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sfantu Gheorghe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $813 in Sfantu Gheorghe. That's a gap of about 48%.

Public transport costs about 76% less in Sfantu Gheorghe. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sfantu Gheorghe, where all-in costs run around $813, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sfantu Gheorghe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sfantu Gheorghe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sfantu Gheorghe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.