Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index
59

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

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North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in North Charleston, SC 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 North Charleston, SC and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,932 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $2,932
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,243 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $4,243
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $5,554 per month in North Charleston, SC vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

North Charleston, SC $5,554
Playa del Carmen $3,000

North Charleston, SC costs about 143% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

North Charleston, SC sits 116% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$10.86 MX$201

84.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.3 $92.3

$44.21 MX$817

108.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$11.76 MX$217

0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$3.68 MX$68.0

61.14%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.34 MX$24.79

117.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.82 MX$15.24

207.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.06 MX$56.6

93.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$4.94 MX$91.2

60.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.47 MX$27.17

-29.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.22 MX$40.95

68.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.48 MX$27.32

219.59%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$2.49 MX$45.99

104.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$7.52 MX$139

-1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.96 MX$147

85.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.30 $20.30

$12.57 MX$232

61.50%

Apples (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$2.78 MX$51.3

197.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.43 MX$26.37

23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.62 MX$48.37

95.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.14 MX$39.49

199.07%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.02 MX$37.38

116.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.99 MX$36.74

60.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.14 MX$21.01

121.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.20 MX$22.18

70.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.26 MX$78.7

109.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$10.02 MX$185

53.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.54 MX$28.41

37.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.66 MX$49.17

11.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.53 MX$9.73

366.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$27.51 MX$508

80.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.90 MX$90.6

-37.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$3.43 MX$63.5

-63.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$5.38 MX$99.4

506.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 MX$26.76

-31.72%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

26.55%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

12.06%

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

$223 $223

$85.4 MX$1,577

161.43%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$23.46 MX$434

223.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$28.43 MX$525

202.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.45 $17.45

$62.2 MX$1,149

-71.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$5.10 MX$94.3

170.39%

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

$920 $920

$201 MX$3,715

357.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

366.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$44.39 MX$820

47.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 $45.10

$41.35 MX$764

9.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$72.7 MX$1,344

53.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$89.6 MX$1,656

46.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$979 MX$18.1K

110.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$373 MX$6,887

299.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 $2,429

$1,681 MX$31.1K

44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,328 $2,328

$1,095 MX$20.2K

112.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,844 $2,844

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-27.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,898 $2,898

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-52.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,763 $3,763

$738 MX$13.6K

410.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 18, 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

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 75% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 42.6% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 64.4% $248

Eating Out

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 40.1% $134

Clothing & Footwear

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29.8% $47

Getting Around

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 24.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 60.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,063 in North Charleston, SC 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 410% higher in North Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in North Charleston, SC versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

23:55 11:55 PM

1 h behind North Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,471

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

North Charleston, SC Playa del Carmen 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

North Charleston, SC
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

North Charleston, SC vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 143% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,397 per month in North Charleston, SC 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in North Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in North Charleston, SC and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in North Charleston, SC at $2,932. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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