Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Targoviste

For one person, living is cheaper in Targoviste: $958 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Targoviste
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Targoviste Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Targoviste

🇷🇴 Romania

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $958 in Targoviste, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Targoviste $958

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,376 in Targoviste, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Targoviste $1,376

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,793 in Targoviste, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Targoviste $1,793

Playa del Carmen costs about 26% more than Targoviste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Targoviste are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Targoviste 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$7.17 RON 34.29

52.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$25.39 RON 121

70.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.37 RON 30.50

84.93%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.09 RON 9.98

82.30%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.35 RON 6.45

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.30 RON 6.23

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.06 RON 9.86

53.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.71 RON 12.95

81.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.32 RON 6.32

6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.87 RON 4.17

155.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.36 RON 6.51

4.41%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.54 RON 12.17

-0.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$3.21 RON 15.38

126.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$6.34 RON 30.33

21.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$11.20 RON 53.6

13.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.03 RON 4.95

169.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.51 RON 7.22

-9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.47 RON 7.04

73.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.83 RON 8.76

15.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.83 RON 3.97

133.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.92 RON 4.39

105.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.75 RON 3.60

53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.76 RON 3.61

55.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$5.86 RON 28.03

-26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$5.43 RON 25.98

83.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.15 RON 5.50

37.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.47 RON 7.06

81.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.44 RON 2.10

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$21.70 RON 104

22.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.77 RON 3.69

545.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.61 RON 2.91

445.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$6.34 RON 30.33

-15.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.60 RON 7.66

-10.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$28.9K RON 138.5K

-28.59%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$25.3K RON 121.1K

-7.29%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$218 RON 1,042

-61.07%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$7.21 RON 34.51

224.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$8.23 RON 39.37

248.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$21.14 RON 101

169.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$19.95 RON 95.5

44.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$3.19 RON 15.27

61.13%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$312 RON 1,491

-33.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$8,239 RON 39.4K

-52.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$63.4 RON 303

-31.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$31.01 RON 148

33.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$53.7 RON 257

38.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$74.4 RON 356

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$355 RON 1,698

175.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$265 RON 1,267

43.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$453 RON 2,166

277.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$401 RON 1,918

168.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,877 RON 8,980

110.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,353 RON 6,473

355.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$867 RON 4,147

-15.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.84

67.40%

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 Targoviste: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Targoviste

$265 27.6% 30.5% $116

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Targoviste

$178 18.5% 30.2% $77

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Targoviste

$128 13.3% 36.8% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Targoviste

$233 24.3% 70.4% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Targoviste

$100 10.4% 10.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Targoviste

$28 2.9% 59.1% $40

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Targoviste

$27 2.9% 45.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $355 in Targoviste. 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 18% higher in Targoviste, 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 $25 in Targoviste. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $178 – making Targoviste the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇴 Targoviste

🕒 Local time

05:45 5:45 AM

12:45 12:45 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

79,610

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Targoviste 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Targoviste

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 Targoviste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,438 in Targoviste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targoviste, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $355 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $958 in Targoviste. That makes Targoviste about 20% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Targoviste. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Targoviste, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Targoviste 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 $958 in Targoviste to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Targoviste is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.