Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Targu Jiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Jiu: $966 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Targu Jiu
Learn more

Targu Jiu Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Targu Jiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Targu Jiu

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $966 in Targu Jiu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Targu Jiu $966

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,502 in Targu Jiu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Targu Jiu $1,502

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,038 in Targu Jiu, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Targu Jiu $2,038

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Targu Jiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Targu Jiu are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Targu Jiu 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$14.60 RON 70.2

-25.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$57.6 RON 277

-24.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.24 RON 34.80

62.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.56 RON 17.10

7.02%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.02 RON 4.93

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$2.21 RON 10.64

-64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$3.67 RON 17.66

-13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$4.23 RON 20.32

16.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.67 RON 8.03

-15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.28 RON 6.17

73.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.77 RON 8.49

-19.77%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.75 RON 13.21

-8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.41 RON 35.63

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.91 RON 13.99

164.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$6.95 RON 33.40

82.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$0.91 RON 4.38

205.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.49 RON 7.17

-8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.17 RON 5.60

117.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.22 RON 5.84

73.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$0.83 RON 3.97

133.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.74 RON 3.54

155.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.61 RON 2.92

88.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.50 RON 2.40

136.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$5.21 RON 25.02

-17.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$3.00 RON 14.42

231.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$0.82 RON 3.93

92.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.07 RON 5.16

149.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$0.65 RON 3.12

664.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.61 RON 2.93

445.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$6.39 RON 30.69

-16.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.93 RON 9.30

-25.39%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$28.8K RON 138.4K

-28.22%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$25.9K RON 124.3K

-9.26%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$196 RON 943

-56.81%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$6.01 RON 28.87

289.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$9.32 RON 44.78

207.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$31.49 RON 151

81.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$8.34 RON 40.08

-38.37%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$676 RON 3,247

-69.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$14.3K RON 68.8K

-72.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$49.38 RON 237

-12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$25.42 RON 122

63.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$51.7 RON 248

43.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$84.2 RON 405

6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$353 RON 1,698

177.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$233 RON 1,119

63.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$478 RON 2,295

257.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$403 RON 1,937

166.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,555 RON 12.3K

54.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$518 RON 2,490

41.76%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Targu Jiu: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Targu Jiu

$233 24.1% 38.9% $148

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Targu Jiu

$154 16% 39.5% $101

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Targu Jiu

$221 22.9% 9.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Targu Jiu

$212 21.9% 54.7% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Targu Jiu

$95 9.8% 15.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Targu Jiu

$48 5% 28.4% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Targu Jiu

$3.7 * 0.4% 92.7% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 in Targu Jiu. 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 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $58 in Targu Jiu. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $154 in Targu Jiu – so Targu Jiu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇴 Targu Jiu

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

82,504

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 RON = 0.208 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.81 RON (1 RON = 0.208 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Targu Jiu 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Targu Jiu

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 Targu Jiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 25%, 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 $1,449 in Targu Jiu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targu Jiu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $353 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $966 in Targu Jiu. That makes Targu Jiu about 20% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $676 in Targu Jiu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $966 in Targu Jiu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $966 in Targu Jiu to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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