Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,982 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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
142

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,982 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
North Charleston, SC $2,982

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,326 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
North Charleston, SC $4,326

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,670 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
North Charleston, SC $5,670

Playa del Carmen is about 59% cheaper than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while North Charleston, SC is 123% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$202

$20.30 $20.30

-45.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$825

$91.6 $91.6

-51.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$12.16 $12.16

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.0

$5.92 $5.92

-35.81%

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

$1.31 MX$24.12

$2.93 $2.93

-55.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.75

$2.43 $2.43

-64.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.1

$6.01 $6.01

-46.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.2

$8.05 $8.05

-37.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.81

$1.01 $1.01

44.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.79

$3.59 $3.59

-35.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.52

$4.63 $4.63

-68.90%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.26

$5.10 $5.10

-51.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$142

$7.00 $7.00

10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$14.45 $14.45

-45.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$20.60 $20.60

-37.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$8.18 $8.18

-64.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.15

$1.79 $1.79

-20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.17

$5.18 $5.18

-50.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.30

$6.30 $6.30

-66.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.80

$4.41 $4.41

-55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.60

$3.21 $3.21

-39.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.16

$2.61 $2.61

-55.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.45

$1.95 $1.95

-37.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.5

$9.64 $9.64

-54.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$15.76 $15.76

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.21 $2.21

-30.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.93

$2.97 $2.97

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.65

$2.51 $2.51

-79.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$504

$50.6 $50.6

-45.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.4

$2.93 $2.93

67.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.8

$1.27 $1.27

177.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$105

$32.69 $32.69

-82.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.32

$0.99 $0.99

55.56%

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

$21.2K MX$390.5K

$34.9K $34.9K

-39.12%

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

$24.5K MX$450.3K

$25.2K $25.2K

-2.83%

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

$83.6 MX$1,537

$225 $225

-62.82%

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

$24.03 MX$442

$76.4 $76.4

-68.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$83.6 $83.6

-64.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,193

$17.20 $17.20

277.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.5

$13.91 $13.91

-63.41%

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

$208 MX$3,819

$930 $930

-77.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.4K

$18.4K $18.4K

-78.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$819

$66.0 $66.0

-32.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$773

$44.41 $44.41

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,389

$112 $112

-32.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,680

$132 $132

-30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$2,004 $2,004

-50.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,083

$1,486 $1,486

-74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,465 $2,465

-30.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,393 $2,393

-53.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.8K

$2,865 $2,865

40.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.9K

$2,896 $2,896

115.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$4,375 $4,375

-82.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.57

74.28%

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 North Charleston, 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%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.7% 286% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

North Charleston, SC

$446 15.2% 71.3% $185

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

North Charleston, SC

$338 11.5% 65.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1% 181% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.5% 39.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5% 40% $30

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

North Charleston, SC

$70 2.4% 34.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,004 in North Charleston, SC. 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 477% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $446 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

20:34 8:34 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

97,471

💱 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 12, 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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

From you

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

North Charleston, SC costs about 145% 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 $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,473 in North Charleston, SC. 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 71% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. 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 $1,215, than in North Charleston, SC at $2,982. 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 $1,215 versus $2,982 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.