Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Targu Mures

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Mures: $938 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $938 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Targu Mures $938

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,461 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Targu Mures $1,461

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,984 in Targu Mures, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Targu Mures $1,984

Playa del Carmen costs about 28% more than Targu Mures, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Targu Mures are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Targu Mures 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$9.12 RON 43.15

19.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$42.19 RON 200

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$8.00 RON 37.83

47.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.17 RON 10.27

69.59%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.44 RON 6.83

-6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.23 RON 5.83

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.91 RON 9.04

60.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.26 RON 10.68

118.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.34 RON 6.34

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.07 RON 5.07

107.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.45 RON 6.87

2.07%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.88 RON 13.65

-13.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$8.00 RON 37.84

-6.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.81 RON 27.47

37.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.08 RON 47.68

24.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.00 RON 4.72

178.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.33 RON 6.29

7.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$1.39 RON 6.59

88.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.90 RON 9.00

12.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.77 RON 3.64

162.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.55 RON 2.61

261.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.80 RON 3.79

42.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.77 RON 3.64

55.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$5.84 RON 27.61

-27.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.39 RON 34.98

35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.07 RON 5.06

43.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.55 RON 7.32

71.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.66 RON 3.11

-19.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$25.06 RON 119

9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.88 RON 4.14

456.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.85 RON 4.04

303.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$7.47 RON 35.32

-27.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.81 RON 8.55

-19.89%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$28.1K RON 133.0K

-24.73%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$25.3K RON 119.8K

-9.09%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$101 RON 477

-15.30%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$9.37 RON 44.35

150.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$8.19 RON 38.75

247.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$42.30 RON 200

47.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$18.38 RON 87.0

56.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$6.27 RON 29.67

-18.66%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,330 RON 6,291

-84.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$52.3 RON 248

-15.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$29.80 RON 141

38.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$76.7 RON 363

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$77.4 RON 366

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$415 RON 1,964

135.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$286 RON 1,355

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$650 RON 3,077

158.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$472 RON 2,232

132.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,238 RON 10.6K

76.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,487 RON 7,035

312.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$991 RON 4,687

-25.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.47

53.28%

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 Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Targu Mures

$286 30.5% 23.2% $86

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Targu Mures

$192 20.5% 25.7% $67

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Targu Mures

$148 15.8% 26.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Targu Mures

$118 12.6% 13.8% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Targu Mures

$106 11.3% 4.8% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Targu Mures

$55 5.8% 24.3% $18

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Targu Mures

$33 3.5% 36.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Targu Mures. 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 34% higher in Targu Mures, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $42.00 in Targu Mures. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $192 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

04:14 4:14 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

134,290

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Targu Mures 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Targu Mures

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 Mures: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 28%, 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 $1,408 in Targu Mures. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Targu Mures, 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 $938 in Targu Mures. That's a gap of about 28%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Targu Mures. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Targu Mures, where all-in costs run around $938, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Targu Mures it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Targu Mures – 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 Targu Mures. 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.