Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,058 in Sumter, SC, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Sumter, SC, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Sumter, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,058
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,058 in Sumter, SC, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Sumter, SC $2,058

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,981 in Sumter, SC, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Sumter, SC $2,981

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,903 in Sumter, SC, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Sumter, SC $3,903

Playa del Carmen is about 41% cheaper than Sumter, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Sumter, SC is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$17.66 $17.66
-38.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$54.3 $54.3
-20.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$11.20 $11.20
5.18%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$5.60 $5.60
-31.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$1.84 $1.84
-30.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$1.40 $1.40
-44.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$6.08 $6.08
-47.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$7.02 $7.02
-29.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$0.97 $0.97
45.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$4.13 $4.13
-46.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$3.31 $3.31
-57.10%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$4.26 $4.26
-40.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$16.50 $16.50
-56.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$16.03 $16.03
-51.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$17.92 $17.92
-29.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$5.27 $5.27
-47.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$1.49 $1.49
-8.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$4.69 $4.69
-45.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$4.70 $4.70
-54.89%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$3.80 $3.80
-48.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$3.20 $3.20
-40.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$1.95 $1.95
-41.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$2.27 $2.27
-48.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$8.49 $8.49
-49.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$15.70 $15.70
-36.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$2.39 $2.39
-33.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$3.73 $3.73
-28.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$3.03 $3.03
64.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$1.87 $1.87
78.07%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$30.51 $30.51
-82.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$0.84 $0.84
71.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$34.9K $34.9K
-40.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$26.0K $26.0K
-9.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$174 $174
-51.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$67.8 $67.8
-65.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$82.5 $82.5
-65.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$14.89 $14.89
283.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$5.09 $5.09
467.98%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$7.19 $7.19
-28.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$1,506 $1,506
-86.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$24.6K $24.6K
-84.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$51.7 $51.7
-16.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$36.65 $36.65
13.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$93.7 $93.7
-20.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$141 $141
-36.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$1,045 $1,045
-6.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$801 $801
-52.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,338 $1,338
27.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$1,198 $1,198
-10.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$1,482 $1,482
166.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$1,455 $1,455
323.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Sumter, SC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$4,145 $4,145
-82.28%
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 25, 2026

Last update for Sumter, SC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Sumter, SC
$801 110% $421
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Sumter, SC
$446 75% $191
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Sumter, SC
$299 48% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Sumter, SC
$325 137% $188
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sumter, SC
$145 30.1% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Sumter, SC
$29 56.5% $38
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Sumter, SC
$12 * 75.5% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,045 in Sumter, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sumter, SC are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $54 in Sumter, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $446 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Sumter, SC
🕒 Local time
00:43 12:43 AM
00:43 12:43 AM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
39,159
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Sumter, SC 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Sumter, 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 Sumter, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Sumter, SC?
Yes – Sumter, SC is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,087 in Sumter, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Sumter, SC?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,045 in Sumter, SC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Sumter, SC?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,058 in Sumter, SC. That makes Playa del Carmen about 41% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,506 in Sumter, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Sumter, SC?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Sumter, SC at $2,058. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sumter, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Sumter, SC more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sumter, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?