Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Goose Creek, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Goose Creek, SC
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Goose Creek, SC Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Goose Creek, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Goose Creek, SC

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 Goose Creek, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Goose Creek, SC $2,471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,428 in Goose Creek, SC.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Goose Creek, SC $3,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,384 in Goose Creek, SC.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Goose Creek, SC $4,384

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 51% less than in Goose Creek, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Goose Creek, SC is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$16.15 $16.15

-33.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$60.4 $60.4

-27.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$10.89 $10.89

8.26%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$4.95 $4.95

-23.43%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.73 $2.73

-52.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$2.03 $2.03

-59.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$5.06 $5.06

-37.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$5.95 $5.95

-17.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.85 $0.85

65.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$3.02 $3.02

-27.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$3.34 $3.34

-55.99%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.82 $2.82

-11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$12.55 $12.55

-41.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$14.76 $14.76

-46.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$13.56 $13.56

-5.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$5.40 $5.40

-46.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.45 $1.45

-4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$4.54 $4.54

-45.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$4.55 $4.55

-55.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$3.73 $3.73

-45.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$3.12 $3.12

-39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$1.97 $1.97

-42.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.73 $1.73

-28.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$7.89 $7.89

-45.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$11.79 $11.79

-16.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$2.42 $2.42

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$3.75 $3.75

-26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.03 $2.03

-74.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$59.3 $59.3

-53.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$3.52 $3.52

35.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.53 $1.53

112.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$24.86 $24.86

-78.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.88 $0.88

73.86%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

-25.50%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

-9.29%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$178 $178

-53.22%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$67.3 $67.3

-65.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$79.9 $79.9

-65.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$44.01 $44.01

28.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$18.31 $18.31

53.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$10.57 $10.57

-52.70%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$637 $637

-67.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$13.1K $13.1K

-59.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$47.33 $47.33

-8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$37.52 $37.52

13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$83.2 $83.2

-12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$98.7 $98.7

-10.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,373 $1,373

-27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,223 $1,223

-68.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,948 $1,948

-14.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$1,680 $1,680

-35.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$2,080 $2,080

87.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,100 $2,100

192.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$2,974 $2,974

-72.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.33

80.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Goose Creek, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Goose Creek, SC

$1.2K 49.5% 220% $841

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Goose Creek, SC

$381 15.4% 48.1% $124

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Goose Creek, SC

$278 11.2% 38.6% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Goose Creek, SC

$326 13.2% 143% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Goose Creek, SC

$120 4.9% 7.9% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Goose Creek, SC

$65 2.6% 2% $1.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Goose Creek, SC

$79 3.2% 55.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,373 in Goose Creek, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Goose Creek, SC pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $60 in Goose Creek, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $381 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Goose Creek, SC

🕒 Local time

19:36 7:36 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,938

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Goose Creek, SC 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Goose Creek, SC

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 Goose Creek, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Goose Creek, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,373 in Goose Creek, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44 versus $60 in Goose Creek, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC – Playa del Carmen is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Goose Creek, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Goose Creek, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.