Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sibiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibiu: $1,127 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Sibiu
Learn more

Sibiu Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sibiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,127 in Sibiu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sibiu $1,127

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,642 in Sibiu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Sibiu $1,642

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,157 in Sibiu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Sibiu $2,157

Playa del Carmen costs about 7% more than Sibiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sibiu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Sibiu 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.14 RON 38.95

34.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$41.28 RON 198

5.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.23 RON 34.60

62.93%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$3.22 RON 15.40

18.32%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$2.10 RON 10.03

-39.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.76 RON 8.42

-55.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.11 RON 14.88

1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.82 RON 18.27

29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.36 RON 6.50

3.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$1.12 RON 5.37

98.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.39 RON 6.64

2.16%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$3.39 RON 16.21

-25.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.71 RON 36.87

-5.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$5.94 RON 28.42

29.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$7.81 RON 37.34

62.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.19 RON 5.67

133.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.51 RON 7.21

-9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.49 RON 7.11

71.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.53 RON 12.10

-16.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.67 RON 3.19

189.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.62 RON 2.96

204.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.03 RON 4.92

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.92 RON 4.41

28.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$6.00 RON 28.71

-28.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.51 RON 35.95

32.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$0.97 RON 4.63

62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.38 RON 6.58

93.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.76 RON 3.61

-27.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$18.89 RON 90.4

40.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.97 RON 4.64

412.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.81 RON 3.86

311.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$8.37 RON 40.05

-35.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.86 RON 8.90

-22.58%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$28.7K RON 137.3K

-28.00%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$24.8K RON 118.8K

-5.46%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$113 RON 542

-25.14%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$8.92 RON 42.67

162.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$11.93 RON 57.1

140.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$34.17 RON 164

66.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$14.36 RON 68.7

101.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$6.60 RON 31.58

-22.12%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$436 RON 2,085

-52.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$6,804 RON 32.6K

-42.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$76.1 RON 364

-43.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$31.39 RON 150

32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$86.1 RON 412

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$89.6 RON 429

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$510 RON 2,440

92.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$433 RON 2,071

-12.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$820 RON 3,923

108.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$585 RON 2,798

83.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$2,527 RON 12.1K

56.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$2,020 RON 9,663

204.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,099 RON 5,256

-33.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.02

63.11%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sibiu: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Sibiu

$433 38.4% 13.7% $52

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Sibiu

$195 17.3% 23.6% $60

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Sibiu

$164 14.6% 18.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sibiu

$134 11.9% 2% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sibiu

$127 11.3% 14.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Sibiu

$47 4.2% 29.6% $20

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sibiu

$27 2.4% 46.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $510 in Sibiu. 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 50% higher in Sibiu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $41 in Sibiu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $195 – making Sibiu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇴 Sibiu

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

12:21 12:21 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

147,245

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 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 Sibiu 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sibiu

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 Sibiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 7%, 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 $1,691 in Sibiu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sibiu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $510 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,127 in Sibiu. That makes Sibiu about 6% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Sibiu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,127 in Sibiu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sibiu costs $1,127 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Sibiu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 6% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.