Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sumba and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $207 a month against $1,210 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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Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$207

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $207 per month in Sumba vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sumba $207
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $280 per month in Sumba vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sumba $280
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $353 per month in Sumba vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sumba $353
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Sumba is about 83% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sumba and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Sumba 85% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 FOK 14.75

$1.44 MX$26.55

54.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.60 FOK 70.5

$4.40 MX$81.4

140.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 FOK 80.9

$9.59 MX$177

26.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 FOK 15.35

$1.59 MX$29.41

45.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 FOK 12.01

$2.81 MX$51.9

-35.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.42 FOK 29.42

$0.57 MX$10.47

675.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 FOK 13.08

$1.47 MX$27.08

34.01%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

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

$23.99 MX$443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 FOK 400

$29.02 MX$536

107.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.77 FOK 251

$63.0 MX$1,164

-40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 FOK 99.6

$4.94 MX$91.3

203.24%

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

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 Sumba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Groceries & Markets

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Eating Out

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Getting Around

Sumba

–

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Good to know

🇫🇴 Sumba

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

03:49 3:49 AM

6 h behind Sumba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

300

149,923

💱 Currency

Faroese Króna FOK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 FOK = 0.15 USD

1 FOK = 0.134 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to FOK – Faroese Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇫🇴 Faroese Króna (kr)

Faroese Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 FOK (1 FOK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 FOK (1 FOK = 0.134 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to FOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Sumba
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

Sumba vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $311 per month in Sumba and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $207 in Sumba and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 484%.

Groceries cost about 319% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sumba, where all-in costs run around $207, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Sumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sumba – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sumba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.