Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,203 a month against $1,798 in Busan, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Busan
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Busan Living Index
57

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

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Busan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,798

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Busan versus $1,203 in Playa del Carmen.

Busan $1,798
Playa del Carmen $1,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,951 in Busan versus $2,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Busan $2,951
Playa del Carmen $2,084

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,104 in Busan versus $2,965 in Playa del Carmen.

Busan $4,104
Playa del Carmen $2,965

Living in Busan is roughly 49% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Busan is 34% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ₩10.2K

$10.72 MX$200

-28.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.50 ₩66.1K

$42.71 MX$795

15.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.60 ₩8,820

$11.86 MX$221

-44.35%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₩4,989

$3.80 MX$70.8

-1.84%

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

$1.77 ₩2,368

$1.29 MX$23.95

37.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,877

$0.82 MX$15.32

70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 ₩5,073

$3.07 MX$57.1

23.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,839

$4.99 MX$92.8

-12.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,059

$1.49 MX$27.70

53.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,198

$2.26 MX$42.12

38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 ₩4,164

$1.40 MX$25.99

122.86%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,496

$2.47 MX$46.01

6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 ₩14.7K

$7.25 MX$135

51.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₩13.9K

$8.09 MX$151

28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.69 ₩33.0K

$12.87 MX$240

91.84%

Apples (1kg)

$11.01 ₩14.7K

$2.89 MX$53.8

280.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 ₩4,935

$1.44 MX$26.79

156.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.33 ₩11.1K

$2.61 MX$48.57

219.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩8,029

$2.13 MX$39.66

182.16%

Potato (1kg)

$6.12 ₩8,181

$1.99 MX$37.03

207.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 ₩4,467

$1.89 MX$35.25

76.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 ₩3,685

$1.15 MX$21.48

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ₩1,793

$1.23 MX$22.98

8.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,438

$4.45 MX$82.8

-25.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.81 ₩25.1K

$9.61 MX$179

95.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,177

$1.60 MX$29.79

48.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ₩4,905

$2.68 MX$49.94

36.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,535

$0.57 MX$10.52

101.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 ₩91.6K

$26.54 MX$494

158.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₩4,822

$4.79 MX$89.2

-24.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ₩845

$3.29 MX$61.3

-80.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 ₩20.0K

$5.39 MX$100

177.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ₩1,908

$1.46 MX$27.25

-2.05%

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

$39.8K ₩53.2M

$21.1K MX$392.5K

88.85%

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

$33.1K ₩44.2M

$23.4K MX$436.2K

41.05%

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

$197 ₩262.8K

$83.9 MX$1,562

134.39%

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

$36.58 ₩48.9K

$23.11 MX$430

58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 ₩35.8K

$28.32 MX$527

-5.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.05 ₩56.2K

$52.7 MX$981

-20.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 ₩13.6K

$30.94 MX$576

-67.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 ₩15.9K

$4.96 MX$92.3

139.72%

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

$639 ₩853.1K

$203 MX$3,785

214.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K ₩29.5M

$5,245 MX$97.6K

320.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩141.1K

$44.12 MX$821

139.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 ₩88.2K

$41.37 MX$770

59.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 ₩125.0K

$73.8 MX$1,374

26.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 ₩168.9K

$90.0 MX$1,675

40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 ₩991.9K

$988 MX$18.4K

-24.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 ₩752.7K

$382 MX$7,119

47.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 ₩2.9M

$1,667 MX$31.0K

30.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,399 ₩1.9M

$1,085 MX$20.2K

28.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,334 ₩7.1M

$3,942 MX$73.4K

35.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,295 ₩4.4M

$6,102 MX$113.6K

-46.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 ₩3.5M

$907 MX$16.9K

186.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

11.45

-63.14%

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

Last update for Busan: November 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Busan

$563 31.3%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 32.1% $181

Groceries & Markets

Busan

$486 27%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.6% 46.5% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busan

$260 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$135 11.3% 48% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Busan

$176 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 36.4% $64

Eating Out

Busan

$166 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$201 16.7% 20.6% $34

Getting Around

Busan

$80 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Busan

$66 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$63 5.2% 4.9% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Busan and $988 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Busan vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $260 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Busan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

04:13 4:13 AM

14 h behind Busan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,586,079

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.74 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1,336 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,483 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.74 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.62 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.66 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Busan Playa del Carmen 12,730 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Busan
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

Busan vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Busan is about 2.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Busan versus $988 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 61% less than in Busan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $639 in Busan versus $203 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,203 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,798 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Busan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.