Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Playa del Carmen

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Charleston, SC is 59.7% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 132% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Charleston, SC is 53.5% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 87.2% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.68 $17.68
$11.85 MX$209
49.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 $79.3
$42.16 MX$744
88.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.90 $9.90
$10.75 MX$190
-7.91%
Cappuccino
$4.89 $4.89
$3.47 MX$61.3
40.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.45 MX$25.65
72.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 $1.90
$0.90 MX$15.93
111.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.98 $5.98
$3.05 MX$53.9
96.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83 $7.83
$4.42 MX$77.9
77.15%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.37 MX$24.17
-30.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.73 $3.73
$1.87 MX$33.05
99.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$1.54 MX$27.25
102.60%
Eggs
$4.47 $4.47
$2.50 MX$44.18
78.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$8.61 MX$152
64.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.71 $14.71
$8.63 MX$152
70.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.12 $17.12
$11.02 MX$195
55.35%
Apples (1kg)
$5.77 $5.77
$2.75 MX$48.53
109.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.43 MX$25.21
16.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.56 $6.56
$1.87 MX$33.05
250.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$2.17 MX$38.26
84.79%
Potato (1kg)
$3.64 $3.64
$1.88 MX$33.23
93.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.74 $2.74
$2.25 MX$39.65
21.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.07 MX$18.85
60.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.07 MX$18.95
81.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.57 $7.57
$4.15 MX$73.3
82.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.15 $20.15
$10.34 MX$182
94.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.68 MX$29.64
5.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.48 MX$43.84
27.42%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$0.55 MX$9.80
270.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.0 $58.0
$26.53 MX$468
118.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 $3.05
$3.22 MX$56.8
-5.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.61 $1.61
$2.48 MX$43.80
-35.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.05 $20.05
$3.11 MX$54.9
544.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.26 MX$22.16
-34.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K $33.4K
$30.7K MX$541.1K
9.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K $24.4K
$24.0K MX$424.3K
1.30%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 $141
$82.5 MX$1,456
71.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.8 $54.8
$22.29 MX$393
145.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.6 $71.6
$30.02 MX$530
138.44%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.24 $29.24
$51.4 MX$908
-43.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.66 $18.66
$18.29 MX$323
2.02%
Cinema Ticket
$13.32 $13.32
$4.98 MX$88.0
167.47%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,324 $1,324
$200 MX$3,530
561.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.2K $24.2K
$5,304 MX$93.6K
356.62%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.47 $49.47
$35.71 MX$630
38.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.29 $36.29
$39.56 MX$698
-8.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.6 $94.6
$80.6 MX$1,422
17.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$156 $156
$88.3 MX$1,559
76.68%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,563 $2,563
$969 MX$17.1K
164.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 $1,723
$482 MX$8,511
257.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,475 $4,475
$1,595 MX$28.2K
180.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,666 $2,666
$1,184 MX$20.9K
125.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,720 $5,720
$4,050 MX$71.5K
41.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,966 $2,966
$6,522 MX$115.1K
-54.52%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Charleston, SC
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,596 $4,596
$756 MX$13.4K
507.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
11.42
-42.99%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: February 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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