Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mount Pleasant, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Mount Pleasant, SC
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Mount Pleasant, SC Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Mount Pleasant, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Mount Pleasant, SC $2,569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,832 in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Mount Pleasant, SC $3,832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,095 in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Mount Pleasant, SC $5,095

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Mount Pleasant, SC is 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$202

$20.23 $20.23

-45.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$825

$80.4 $80.4

-44.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$10.93 $10.93

9.06%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.0

$5.65 $5.65

-32.74%

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

$1.31 MX$24.12

$2.74 $2.74

-52.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.75

$2.24 $2.24

-61.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.1

$6.16 $6.16

-47.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.2

$8.20 $8.20

-38.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.81

$1.01 $1.01

44.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.79

$4.19 $4.19

-44.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$3.29 $3.29

-56.23%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.26

$4.26 $4.26

-42.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$142

$16.77 $16.77

-54.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$14.49 $14.49

-45.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$18.00 $18.00

-28.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$5.18 $5.18

-43.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.15

$1.50 $1.50

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.17

$4.66 $4.66

-44.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.30

$4.70 $4.70

-54.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.80

$3.72 $3.72

-47.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.60

$3.18 $3.18

-38.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.16

$1.98 $1.98

-41.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.45

$2.26 $2.26

-46.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.5

$10.12 $10.12

-56.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$15.73 $15.73

-37.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.42 $2.42

-36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.93

$3.03 $3.03

-10.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.65

$2.20 $2.20

-76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.4

$2.94 $2.94

67.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.8

$1.21 $1.21

190.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$105

$29.68 $29.68

-80.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.32

$0.98 $0.98

57.14%

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

$21.2K MX$390.5K

$34.6K $34.6K

-38.62%

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

$24.5K MX$450.3K

$25.0K $25.0K

-2.06%

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

$83.6 MX$1,537

$173 $173

-51.56%

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

$24.03 MX$442

$66.3 $66.3

-63.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$81.3 $81.3

-63.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,193

$41.67 $41.67

55.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.5

$14.25 $14.25

-64.28%

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

$208 MX$3,819

$1,277 $1,277

-83.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.4K

$24.7K $24.7K

-83.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$819

$50.8 $50.8

-12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$773

$36.74 $36.74

14.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,389

$96.2 $96.2

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,680

$138 $138

-33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,574 $1,574

-37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,083

$1,177 $1,177

-67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,731 $2,731

-37.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,095 $2,095

-47.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.8K

$2,793 $2,793

43.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.9K

$2,657 $2,657

135.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

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 Mount Pleasant, SC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$1.2K 47.1% 206% $792

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$438 17.6% 68.4% $178

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$330 13.2% 61.6% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$320 12.8% 134% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$145 5.8% 26.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$70 2.8% 6.5% $4.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Mount Pleasant, SC

$18 * 0.7% 65.8% $34

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 $1,574 in Mount Pleasant, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $80.0 in Mount Pleasant, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $438 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Mount Pleasant, SC

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

15,202

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mount Pleasant, SC 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Playa del Carmen and Mount Pleasant, SC differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $2,569 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,823 in Playa del Carmen and $3,854 in Mount Pleasant, SC to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,574 in Mount Pleasant, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Mount Pleasant, 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 $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC – a 111% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,569 in Mount Pleasant, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mount Pleasant, 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 111% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.