Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Cheongju versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,929 in Cheongju versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,569 in Cheongju versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cheongju costs roughly 1% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cheongju 4% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 ₩10.6K

$11.73 MX$203

-40.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.48 ₩55.3K

$41.62 MX$720

-12.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 ₩7,278

$10.64 MX$184

-54.89%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ₩6,062

$3.52 MX$60.9

13.64%

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

$1.79 ₩2,711

$1.51 MX$26.12

18.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩2,002

$0.97 MX$16.84

36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,702

$2.95 MX$51.0

27.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 ₩8,679

$4.45 MX$77.0

28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ₩3,141

$1.38 MX$23.93

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 ₩5,273

$1.89 MX$32.72

84.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 ₩2,736

$1.64 MX$28.32

10.37%

Eggs

$2.23 ₩3,378

$2.51 MX$43.34

-11.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 ₩16.0K

$8.34 MX$144

26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 ₩12.2K

$8.34 MX$144

-3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.84 ₩22.5K

$10.73 MX$186

38.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 ₩4,504

$2.60 MX$45.04

14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 ₩4,584

$1.46 MX$25.20

107.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.39 ₩11.2K

$1.90 MX$32.87

288.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 ₩7,796

$2.08 MX$35.91

147.12%

Potato (1kg)

$5.09 ₩7,718

$1.78 MX$30.71

185.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,614

$2.19 MX$37.80

39.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩3,155

$1.04 MX$17.99

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₩642

$1.08 MX$18.62

-61.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₩5,073

$4.08 MX$70.6

-17.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 ₩19.8K

$10.32 MX$178

26.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₩2,569

$1.71 MX$29.61

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₩3,396

$2.58 MX$44.54

-13.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 ₩1,820

$0.51 MX$8.81

135.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 ₩110.3K

$26.46 MX$458

175.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 ₩4,075

$3.26 MX$56.4

-17.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₩1,274

$2.49 MX$43.09

-66.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.68 ₩25.3K

$3.25 MX$56.2

413.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,834

$1.31 MX$22.61

-7.63%

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

$27.4K ₩41.5M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-9.61%

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

$24.9K ₩37.8M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

6.47%

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

$190 ₩287.5K

$82.9 MX$1,433

128.96%

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

$24.35 ₩36.9K

$22.22 MX$384

9.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.94 ₩22.6K

$29.34 MX$507

-49.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩93.3K

$51.6 MX$893

19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.42 ₩50.6K

$18.32 MX$317

82.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 ₩11.1K

$5.07 MX$87.6

44.58%

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

$487 ₩737.3K

$201 MX$3,473

142.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K ₩21.6M

$5,212 MX$90.1K

173.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.46 ₩56.8K

$36.92 MX$639

1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.19 ₩73.0K

$39.79 MX$688

21.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 ₩132.0K

$78.5 MX$1,357

11.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ₩165.9K

$87.1 MX$1,506

25.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₩456.8K

$973 MX$16.8K

-69.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ₩365.1K

$468 MX$8,090

-48.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 ₩633.4K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 ₩447.2K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-75.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,787 ₩14.8M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

148.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,202 ₩7.9M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-19.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,352 ₩3.6M

$664 MX$11.5K

254.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

11.42

-63.05%

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

Last update for Cheongju: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $301 in Cheongju and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 254% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cheongju vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $249, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Cheongju pays 254% more on average, 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: $301 in Cheongju versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Cheongju versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cheongju runs roughly 175% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Cheongju versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cheongju and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.