Cost of Living Comparison Between Rรขศ™nov and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Rรขศ™nov and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Rรขศ™nov vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,576 per month in Rรขศ™nov vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,114 per month in Rรขศ™nov vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rรขศ™nov is about 18% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rรขศ™nov and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Rรขศ™nov 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.57 RONย 38.76
$11.87 MX$204
-27.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.40 RONย 183
$42.90 MX$736
-5.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.05 RONย 36.40
$10.65 MX$183
-24.41%
Cappuccino
$2.31 RONย 10.46
$3.45 MX$59.2
-33.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 RONย 6.00
$1.50 MX$25.81
-11.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.15 RONย 5.22
$0.95 MX$16.28
21.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.16 RONย 9.76
$3.03 MX$51.9
-28.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 RONย 12.80
$4.61 MX$79.1
-38.61%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 RONย 6.88
$1.38 MX$23.61
10.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.17 RONย 5.31
$1.85 MX$31.70
-36.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 RONย 7.10
$1.61 MX$27.65
-2.48%
Eggs
$3.02 RONย 13.65
$2.59 MX$44.51
16.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.47 RONย 38.33
$8.26 MX$142
2.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.98 RONย 31.59
$8.37 MX$144
-16.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.85 RONย 53.6
$10.66 MX$183
11.16%
Apples (1kg)
$1.01 RONย 4.57
$2.63 MX$45.12
-61.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.36 RONย 6.16
$1.49 MX$25.53
-8.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.52 RONย 6.89
$1.92 MX$32.94
-20.83%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.95 RONย 8.80
$2.09 MX$35.81
-6.70%
Potato (1kg)
$0.90 RONย 4.07
$1.86 MX$31.88
-51.61%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 RONย 4.15
$2.26 MX$38.81
-59.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 RONย 3.42
$1.06 MX$18.23
-28.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 RONย 3.63
$1.09 MX$18.67
-26.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.04 RONย 27.31
$4.15 MX$71.2
45.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.50 RONย 33.93
$10.39 MX$178
-27.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 RONย 4.85
$1.72 MX$29.59
-37.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69 RONย 7.63
$2.61 MX$44.85
-35.25%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.67 RONย 3.05
$0.54 MX$9.30
24.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.81 RONย 89.6
$26.94 MX$462
-26.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.71 RONย 3.20
$3.13 MX$53.7
-77.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.61 RONย 2.75
$2.51 MX$43.09
-75.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.80 RONย 30.75
$3.15 MX$54.1
115.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.63 RONย 7.36
$1.27 MX$21.88
28.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K RONย 125.2K
$30.4K MX$521.3K
-8.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K RONย 124.7K
$23.6K MX$404.5K
16.99%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$168 RONย 758
$83.0 MX$1,425
101.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.27 RONย 37.39
$22.71 MX$390
-63.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.12 RONย 41.24
$29.46 MX$506
-69.04%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.59 RONย 188
$51.0 MX$875
-18.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.03 RONย 86.1
$18.33 MX$315
3.82%
Cinema Ticket
$5.90 RONย 26.68
$4.93 MX$84.5
19.68%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$445 RONย 2,013
$197 MX$3,386
125.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,566 RONย 29.7K
$5,280 MX$90.6K
24.37%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 RONย 328
$36.90 MX$633
96.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.20 RONย 191
$39.89 MX$685
5.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 RONย 439
$80.0 MX$1,373
21.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.1 RONย 358
$89.5 MX$1,536
-11.65%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$392 RONย 1,773
$956 MX$16.4K
-59.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$286 RONย 1,294
$477 MX$8,189
-40.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$595 RONย 2,693
$1,646 MX$28.3K
-63.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 RONย 1,994
$1,225 MX$21.0K
-64.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,938 RONย 8,766
$3,918 MX$67.2K
-50.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,395 RONย 6,309
$6,459 MX$110.9K
-78.41%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Rรขศ™nov
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$667 MX$11.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.7
11.42
-32.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Rรขศ™nov: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $392 in Rรขศ™nov versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rรขศ™nov versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $211 vs $250 โ€“ making Rรขศ™nov the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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
Rรขศ™nov vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Rรขศ™nov?
Yes โ€“ Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 23%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,555 per month in Rรขศ™nov and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rรขศ™nov, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Rรขศ™nov vs Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,037 in Rรขศ™nov and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category โ€“ it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 36% less in Rรขศ™nov. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Rรขศ™nov or Playa del Carmen?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rรขศ™nov, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Rรขศ™nov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Rรขศ™nov or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Rรขศ™nov โ€“ lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Rรขศ™nov or Playa del Carmen?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rรขศ™nov. 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.

Rรขศ™nov vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities