Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Targu Mures and Playa del Carmen

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.

46

Cost of Living Index in Targu Mures
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Targu Mures Living Index
59

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

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Targu Mures

🇷🇴 Romania

$938

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Targu Mures and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Targu Mures $938
Playa del Carmen $1,204

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

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

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

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

Targu Mures is about 22% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.12 RON 43.15

$10.86 MX$201

-16.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.19 RON 200

$44.21 MX$817

-4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 RON 37.83

$11.76 MX$217

-31.97%

Cappuccino

$2.17 RON 10.27

$3.68 MX$68.0

-41.03%

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

$1.44 RON 6.83

$1.34 MX$24.79

7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 RON 5.83

$0.82 MX$15.24

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 RON 9.04

$3.06 MX$56.6

-37.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 RON 10.68

$4.94 MX$91.2

-54.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 RON 6.34

$1.47 MX$27.17

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 RON 5.07

$2.22 MX$40.95

-51.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.48 MX$27.32

-2.03%

Eggs

$2.88 RON 13.65

$2.49 MX$45.99

15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 RON 37.84

$7.52 MX$139

6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 RON 27.47

$7.96 MX$147

-27.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 RON 47.68

$12.57 MX$232

-19.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.72

$2.78 MX$51.3

-64.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.29

$1.43 MX$26.37

-6.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.59

$2.62 MX$48.37

-46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 RON 9.00

$2.14 MX$39.49

-11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$2.02 MX$37.38

-61.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 RON 2.61

$1.99 MX$36.74

-72.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 RON 3.79

$1.14 MX$21.01

-29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 RON 3.64

$1.20 MX$22.18

-35.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.84 RON 27.61

$4.26 MX$78.7

37.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 RON 34.98

$10.02 MX$185

-26.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.06

$1.54 MX$28.41

-30.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 RON 7.32

$2.66 MX$49.17

-41.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 RON 3.11

$0.53 MX$9.73

24.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.06 RON 119

$27.51 MX$508

-8.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.14

$4.90 MX$90.6

-82.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 RON 4.04

$3.43 MX$63.5

-75.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 RON 35.32

$5.38 MX$99.4

38.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.55

$1.45 MX$26.76

24.83%

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

$28.1K RON 133.0K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

32.85%

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

$25.3K RON 119.8K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

10.00%

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

$101 RON 477

$85.4 MX$1,577

18.06%

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

$9.37 RON 44.35

$23.46 MX$434

-60.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.19 RON 38.75

$28.43 MX$525

-71.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 RON 200

$62.2 MX$1,149

-31.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.38 RON 87.0

$28.68 MX$530

-35.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 RON 29.67

$5.10 MX$94.3

22.94%

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

$1,330 RON 6,291

$201 MX$3,715

561.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 RON 248

$44.39 MX$820

17.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 RON 141

$41.35 MX$764

-27.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 RON 363

$72.7 MX$1,344

5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 RON 366

$89.6 MX$1,656

-13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 RON 1,964

$979 MX$18.1K

-57.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 RON 1,355

$373 MX$6,887

-23.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 RON 3,077

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-61.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 RON 2,232

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-56.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,238 RON 10.6K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-43.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,487 RON 7,035

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-75.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 RON 4,687

$738 MX$13.6K

34.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.47

11.45

-34.76%

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

Last update for Targu Mures: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Targu Mures

$286 30.5%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 30.1% $86

Groceries & Markets

Targu Mures

$192 20.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 34.7% $67

Eating Out

Targu Mures

$148 15.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 35.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Targu Mures

$118 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 16% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Targu Mures

$106 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 5% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Targu Mures

$55 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 32% $18

Getting Around

Targu Mures

$33 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 57.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Targu Mures versus $979 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.

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 $42.00 in Targu Mures versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $258 – making Targu Mures the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Targu Mures

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

19:44 7:44 PM

8 h behind Targu Mures

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,290

149,923

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

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).

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).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Targu Mures
Playa del Carmen

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

Targu Mures vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $1,408 per month in Targu Mures and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $938 in Targu Mures and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. 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.