Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,592 in Greenwood, SC, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Greenwood, SC
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Greenwood, SC Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Greenwood, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,592 in Greenwood, SC.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Greenwood, SC $2,592

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,823 in Greenwood, SC.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Greenwood, SC $3,823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,053 in Greenwood, SC.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Greenwood, SC $5,053

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 53% less than in Greenwood, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Greenwood, SC is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$202

$17.78 $17.78

-38.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$825

$73.7 $73.7

-39.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$11.09 $11.09

7.48%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.0

$5.85 $5.85

-35.04%

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

$1.31 MX$24.12

$2.65 $2.65

-50.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.75

$2.22 $2.22

-61.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.1

$5.98 $5.98

-46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.2

$7.42 $7.42

-32.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.81

$0.68 $0.68

114.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.79

$4.00 $4.00

-41.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$3.35 $3.35

-57.01%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.26

$3.44 $3.44

-28.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$142

$16.51 $16.51

-53.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$16.07 $16.07

-50.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$18.39 $18.39

-30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$5.22 $5.22

-44.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.15

$1.48 $1.48

-4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.17

$4.68 $4.68

-45.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.30

$4.71 $4.71

-54.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.80

$3.66 $3.66

-46.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.60

$3.18 $3.18

-38.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.16

$2.06 $2.06

-44.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.45

$2.33 $2.33

-47.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.5

$10.09 $10.09

-56.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$15.23 $15.23

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.43 $2.43

-36.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.93

$3.69 $3.69

-26.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.65

$1.81 $1.81

-71.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.4

$2.91 $2.91

68.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.8

$1.81 $1.81

94.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$105

$30.15 $30.15

-81.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.32

$0.78 $0.78

97.44%

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

$21.2K MX$390.5K

$35.4K $35.4K

-40.06%

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

$24.5K MX$450.3K

$24.7K $24.7K

-0.97%

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

$83.6 MX$1,537

$173 $173

-51.63%

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

$24.03 MX$442

$67.9 $67.9

-64.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$76.0 $76.0

-61.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,193

$41.54 $41.54

56.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.5

$15.92 $15.92

-68.03%

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

$208 MX$3,819

$671 $671

-69.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.4K

$25.2K $25.2K

-83.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$819

$51.0 $51.0

-12.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$773

$37.76 $37.76

11.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,389

$93.9 $93.9

-19.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,680

$140 $140

-34.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,572 $1,572

-37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,083

$1,274 $1,274

-69.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,518 $2,518

-31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,137 $2,137

-48.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.8K

$1,534 $1,534

161.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.9K

$1,605 $1,605

289.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$5,393 $5,393

-85.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.48

76.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Greenwood, SC: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Greenwood, SC

$1.3K 49.4% 231% $889

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Greenwood, SC

$440 17.1% 69% $179

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Greenwood, SC

$310 12% 52% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Greenwood, SC

$317 12.3% 131% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Greenwood, SC

$145 5.6% 27.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Greenwood, SC

$73 2.9% 2.2% $1.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Greenwood, SC

$19 * 0.7% 63.1% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $1,572 in Greenwood, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Greenwood, SC pays 611% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $74.0 in Greenwood, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $440 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Greenwood, SC

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

00:11 12:11 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

15,205

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.85 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 18.39 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.61 MXN (100 MXN = 4.85 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Greenwood, SC 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Greenwood, 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 Greenwood, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 113% lower than in Greenwood, 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 611% lower in Greenwood, SC. 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,572 in Greenwood, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Greenwood, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,592 in Greenwood, SC – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,592 in Greenwood, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Greenwood, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,215 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Greenwood, SC are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Greenwood, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.