Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changwon and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,529 in Changwon, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
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Changwon Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,529

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,529 in Changwon versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Changwon $1,529
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Changwon versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Changwon $2,381
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,233 in Changwon versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Changwon $3,233
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Changwon is roughly 27% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changwon is 12% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,862

$10.92 MX$204

-32.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.81 ₩37.3K

$43.37 MX$808

-35.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ₩7,167

$11.78 MX$220

-54.67%

Cappuccino

$3.78 ₩5,079

$3.81 MX$71.0

-0.79%

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

$1.87 ₩2,513

$1.28 MX$23.90

46.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₩1,359

$0.78 MX$14.59

29.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 ₩4,050

$3.17 MX$59.0

-4.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,870

$4.93 MX$92.0

-11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₩3,161

$1.41 MX$26.22

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 ₩4,357

$2.22 MX$41.33

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,303

$1.42 MX$26.42

125.35%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,538

$2.52 MX$47.03

4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 ₩14.9K

$7.26 MX$135

52.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₩14.1K

$7.70 MX$143

36.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.38 ₩34.1K

$12.69 MX$237

100.00%

Apples (1kg)

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$2.78 MX$51.9

309.71%

Banana (1kg)

$3.73 ₩5,009

$1.37 MX$25.50

172.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.96 ₩10.7K

$2.55 MX$47.55

212.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 ₩7,874

$2.12 MX$39.58

176.42%

Potato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,991

$1.94 MX$36.13

206.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 ₩4,535

$1.89 MX$35.16

78.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 ₩3,831

$1.15 MX$21.37

147.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,778

$1.18 MX$21.98

11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,520

$4.30 MX$80.1

-21.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ₩25.4K

$9.95 MX$185

89.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ₩3,317

$1.58 MX$29.52

56.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 ₩4,539

$2.67 MX$49.79

26.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 ₩1,558

$0.55 MX$10.31

110.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ₩4,008

$4.97 MX$92.6

-40.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,052

$3.33 MX$62.1

-76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.79 ₩22.5K

$5.36 MX$99.8

213.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,830

$1.44 MX$26.92

-5.56%

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

$39.0K ₩52.4M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

88.81%

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

$33.9K ₩45.6M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

44.59%

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

$200 ₩268.3K

$84.8 MX$1,581

135.68%

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

$36.15 ₩48.5K

$23.41 MX$436

54.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.46 ₩36.9K

$28.66 MX$534

-4.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₩71.6K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 ₩19.0K

$28.91 MX$539

-51.12%

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 ₩15.2K

$5.14 MX$95.8

119.65%

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

$646 ₩867.1K

$207 MX$3,851

212.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.8M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

446.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩140.3K

$43.35 MX$808

141.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 ₩88.0K

$41.44 MX$772

58.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 ₩124.0K

$74.2 MX$1,383

24.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ₩172.6K

$89.3 MX$1,664

44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 ₩649.8K

$980 MX$18.3K

-50.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ₩478.0K

$381 MX$7,099

-6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 ₩1.6M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-32.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₩1.0M

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-29.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,009 ₩9.4M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

77.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,457 ₩7.3M

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-11.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 ₩2.3M

$735 MX$13.7K

133.19%

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 Changwon: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changwon

$491 32.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 48.1% $236

Accommodation & Living

Changwon

$356 23.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changwon

$263 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 48.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Changwon

$176 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 36.5% $64

Eating Out

Changwon

$156 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 30.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Changwon

$76 5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.3% $8.6

Getting Around

Changwon

$12 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 337% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $484 in Changwon and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changwon pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Changwon vs $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $491 vs $255, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Changwon

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

16:08 4:08 PM

14 h behind Changwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,055,839

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Changwon Playa del Carmen 12,750 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Changwon
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,529 in Changwon and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Changwon is about 2.3 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: $484 in Changwon versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Changwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,529 per month in Changwon versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,529 in Changwon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Changwon. 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, Changwon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.