Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Severn, MD and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,441 in Severn, MD, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Severn, MD, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Severn, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,441
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Severn, MD and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Severn, MD and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,441 per month in Severn, MD vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Severn, MD $2,441
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,690 per month in Severn, MD vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Severn, MD $3,690
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,939 per month in Severn, MD vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Severn, MD $4,939
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Severn, MD costs about 103% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Severn, MD sits 81% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.74 $17.74
$10.67 MX$200
66.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.8 $95.8
$43.80 MX$819
118.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.62 $10.62
$11.79 MX$220
-9.92%
Cappuccino
$5.23 $5.23
$3.79 MX$70.8
37.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.30 MX$24.26
138.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.83 MX$15.59
201.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.18 $7.18
$3.15 MX$58.9
127.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.82 $7.82
$4.93 MX$92.3
58.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.41 MX$26.35
-21.28%
White Bread (500g)
$4.01 $4.01
$2.20 MX$41.07
82.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.22 $4.22
$1.47 MX$27.54
187.07%
Eggs
$4.99 $4.99
$2.50 MX$46.70
99.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.73 $12.73
$7.29 MX$136
74.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.80 $12.80
$7.95 MX$149
61.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.70 $18.70
$12.86 MX$241
45.41%
Apples (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$2.90 MX$54.2
87.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.38 MX$25.87
13.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.63 $4.63
$2.49 MX$46.59
85.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.81 $4.81
$2.03 MX$37.97
136.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.02 MX$37.88
39.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.90 MX$35.60
47.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.14 MX$21.41
99.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.24 MX$23.17
87.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.55 $9.55
$4.27 MX$79.9
123.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.78 $15.78
$9.81 MX$184
60.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 $2.59
$1.59 MX$29.66
62.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.75 MX$51.3
5.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.87 $1.87
$0.51 MX$9.63
266.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.8 $55.8
$27.39 MX$512
103.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.83 $1.83
$4.76 MX$89.1
-61.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.35 $1.35
$3.25 MX$60.8
-58.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.68 $23.68
$5.39 MX$101
339.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.53 MX$28.58
-33.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.4K $29.4K
$21.2K MX$396.8K
38.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$23.3K MX$435.1K
12.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 $166
$83.5 MX$1,562
99.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.6 $51.6
$23.19 MX$434
122.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.0 $63.0
$27.61 MX$516
128.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.08 $40.08
$56.4 MX$1,056
-28.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$527
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.72 $14.72
$5.00 MX$93.5
194.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,856 $1,856
$207 MX$3,873
796.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K $23.8K
$5,231 MX$97.8K
355.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.1 $52.1
$43.45 MX$813
19.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.5 $63.5
$42.54 MX$796
49.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 $93.2
$72.8 MX$1,361
28.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 $112
$88.4 MX$1,653
27.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,561 $1,561
$995 MX$18.6K
56.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,137 $1,137
$382 MX$7,152
197.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,229 $2,229
$1,674 MX$31.3K
33.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,921 $1,921
$1,081 MX$20.2K
77.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,703 $2,703
$3,909 MX$73.1K
-30.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,518 $2,518
$6,138 MX$114.8K
-58.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Severn, MD
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
11.45
-40.09%

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

Last update for Severn, MD: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Severn, MD
$1.1K
Playa del Carmen
$382 66.4% $755
Groceries & Markets
Severn, MD
$427
Playa del Carmen
$257 39.7% $170
Eating Out
Severn, MD
$311
Playa del Carmen
$200 35.5% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Severn, MD
$281
Playa del Carmen
$134 52.2% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Severn, MD
$145
Playa del Carmen
$111 23.1% $33
Getting Around
Severn, MD
$72
Playa del Carmen
$50 29.8% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Severn, MD
$70
Playa del Carmen
$66 4.4% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Severn, MD versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Severn, MD versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $427 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Severn, MD
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
10:22 10:22 AM
10:22 10:22 AM
Same time as Severn, MD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,231
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Severn, MD Playa del Carmen 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Severn, MD
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Severn, MD vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Severn, MD?
Yes – Severn, MD is pricier by about 103%, 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 $3,662 per month in Severn, MD and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,561 in Severn, MD.
What are total monthly expenses in Severn, MD and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,441 in Severn, MD and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 51% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 51% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Severn, MD or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Severn, MD at $2,441. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Severn, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Severn, MD or Playa del Carmen 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Severn, MD vs other spots: cost of living compared

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