Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geoje and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,762 in Geoje, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Geoje
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Geoje Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Geoje

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,762

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,762 per month in Geoje vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Geoje $1,762
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,693 per month in Geoje vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Geoje $2,693
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,624 per month in Geoje vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Geoje $3,624
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Geoje costs about 46% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Geoje sits 29% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.34 ₩9,802

$10.92 MX$205

-32.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.85 ₩66.5K

$43.37 MX$814

14.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 ₩8,911

$11.78 MX$221

-43.38%

Cappuccino

$3.78 ₩5,051

$3.81 MX$71.5

-0.79%

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

$1.86 ₩2,488

$1.28 MX$24.07

45.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,547

$0.78 MX$14.70

48.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₩2,498

$3.17 MX$59.5

-41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ₩5,115

$4.93 MX$92.7

-22.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,153

$1.41 MX$26.40

67.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₩3,870

$2.22 MX$41.62

30.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 ₩4,261

$1.42 MX$26.61

124.65%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,639

$2.52 MX$47.36

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 ₩14.6K

$7.26 MX$136

50.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 ₩9,735

$7.70 MX$144

-5.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.86 ₩30.5K

$12.69 MX$238

80.14%

Apples (1kg)

$11.13 ₩14.9K

$2.78 MX$52.3

300.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,017

$1.37 MX$25.68

174.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 ₩8,119

$2.55 MX$47.89

138.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 ₩7,876

$2.12 MX$39.86

178.30%

Potato (1kg)

$5.88 ₩7,844

$1.94 MX$36.39

203.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,363

$1.89 MX$35.41

73.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 ₩3,799

$1.15 MX$21.53

147.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,727

$1.18 MX$22.13

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,436

$4.30 MX$80.6

-22.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.40 ₩17.9K

$9.95 MX$187

34.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₩2,484

$1.58 MX$29.73

17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₩4,785

$2.67 MX$50.1

34.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ₩1,671

$0.55 MX$10.39

127.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 ₩3,941

$4.97 MX$93.3

-40.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,037

$3.33 MX$62.5

-76.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.68 ₩22.3K

$5.36 MX$101

211.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,818

$1.44 MX$27.11

-5.56%

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

$39.6K ₩52.9M

$20.7K MX$388.0K

91.63%

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

$34.6K ₩46.2M

$23.5K MX$440.5K

47.62%

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

$203 ₩271.2K

$84.8 MX$1,592

139.58%

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

$36.39 ₩48.6K

$23.41 MX$439

55.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₩36.7K

$28.66 MX$538

-4.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$132 ₩176.3K

$57.1 MX$1,071

131.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 ₩16.3K

$5.14 MX$96.5

136.77%

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

$633 ₩845.4K

$207 MX$3,878

206.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K ₩29.8M

$3,927 MX$73.7K

467.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩139.3K

$43.35 MX$814

140.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 ₩87.7K

$41.44 MX$778

58.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.5 ₩70.1K

$74.2 MX$1,393

-29.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩169.9K

$89.3 MX$1,676

42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 ₩896.0K

$980 MX$18.4K

-31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 ₩768.8K

$381 MX$7,150

51.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₩1.6M

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-30.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 ₩1.4M

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-3.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,770 ₩2.4M

$735 MX$13.8K

141.04%

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 Geoje: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Geoje

$576 32.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 33.9% $195

Groceries & Markets

Geoje

$441 25%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 42.2% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geoje

$267 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 48.7% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Geoje

$157 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Geoje

$156 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 57% $89

Eating Out

Geoje

$153 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32% $49

Getting Around

Geoje

$12 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 326% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $671 in Geoje 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 Geoje are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Geoje versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Geoje

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

15:21 3:21 PM

14 h behind Geoje

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,073

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Geoje Playa del Carmen 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Geoje
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

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

Geoje costs about 46% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,643 per month in Geoje and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Geoje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $671 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,762 in Geoje and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 32% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $633 per month in Geoje 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 Geoje at $1,762. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geoje it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,762 in Geoje. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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