Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

100

Cost of Living Index in Sumter, SC
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Sumter, SC Living Index
58

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

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Sumter, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sumter, SC costs about 71% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 $17.66

$10.92 MX$205

61.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.3 $54.3

$43.37 MX$815

25.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.78 MX$221

-4.92%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.81 MX$71.6

46.98%

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

$1.84 $1.84

$1.28 MX$24.10

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.78 MX$14.71

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.17 MX$59.5

91.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.93 MX$92.7

42.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.41 MX$26.43

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.22 MX$41.66

86.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.42 MX$26.64

133.10%

Eggs

$4.26 $4.26

$2.52 MX$47.41

69.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$7.26 MX$137

127.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.03 $16.03

$7.70 MX$145

108.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 $17.92

$12.69 MX$239

41.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.78 MX$52.3

89.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.37 MX$25.71

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.55 MX$47.94

83.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.12 MX$39.90

121.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.94 MX$36.43

95.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.89 MX$35.44

69.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.15 MX$21.55

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.18 MX$22.16

92.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.49 $8.49

$4.30 MX$80.7

97.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$9.95 MX$187

57.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.58 MX$29.76

51.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.67 MX$50.2

39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.97 MX$93.4

-39.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$3.33 MX$62.6

-43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.51 $30.51

$5.36 MX$101

469.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.44 MX$27.14

-41.67%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

69.08%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

10.61%

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

$174 $174

$84.8 MX$1,594

105.54%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$23.41 MX$440

189.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.5 $82.5

$28.66 MX$539

187.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.89 $14.89

$57.1 MX$1,072

-73.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.09 $5.09

$28.91 MX$543

-82.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.19 $7.19

$5.14 MX$96.6

39.88%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$207 MX$3,882

628.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

525.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$43.35 MX$815

19.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.65 $36.65

$41.44 MX$779

-11.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$74.2 MX$1,394

26.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$89.3 MX$1,677

58.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 $1,045

$980 MX$18.4K

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 $801

$381 MX$7,157

110.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-21.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 $1,198

$1,075 MX$20.2K

11.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,482 $1,482

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-62.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 $1,455

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-76.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,145 $4,145

$735 MX$13.8K

464.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

11.45

-43.41%

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

Last update for Sumter, SC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sumter, SC

$801 38.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 52.5% $421

Groceries & Markets

Sumter, SC

$446 21.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 42.8% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sumter, SC

$325 15.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 57.8% $188

Eating Out

Sumter, SC

$299 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Sumter, SC

$145 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 23.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sumter, SC

$29 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 130% $38

Getting Around

Sumter, SC

$12 * 0.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 308% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,045 in Sumter, SC versus $980 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.

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sumter, SC

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:06 11:06 PM

Same time as Sumter, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,159

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sumter, SC Playa del Carmen 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sumter, SC
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

Sumter, SC vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sumter, SC is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,087 per month in Sumter, SC and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,045 in Sumter, SC and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,058 in Sumter, SC and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 41% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,506 per month in Sumter, SC and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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.

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.

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.