Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $206 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sumba

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 Sumba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $206 in Sumba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sumba $206

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $279 in Sumba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Sumba $279

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $352 in Sumba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Sumba $352

Playa del Carmen costs about 484% more than Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Sumba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Sumba 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.18 FOK 14.61

-35.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$10.26 FOK 68.8

-58.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$11.76 FOK 78.8

-15.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$2.29 FOK 15.37

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.83 FOK 12.27

45.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$4.61 FOK 30.89

-88.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.99 FOK 13.36

-27.64%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$60.3 FOK 404

-52.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$37.84 FOK 254

50.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$14.67 FOK 98.3

-64.96%

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sumba: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

00:29 12:29 AM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

300

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 FOK = 0.149 USD

1 FOK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Faroese Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.7 FOK (1 FOK = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 FOK (1 FOK = 0.134 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sumba 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sumba

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 Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 484%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $310 in Sumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $206 in Sumba. That makes Sumba about 83% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 321% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sumba, where all-in costs run around $206, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Sumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $206 in Sumba to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.