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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,521 in Gimhae versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,347 in Gimhae versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,173 in Gimhae versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gimhae is roughly 21% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gimhae is 14% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 ₩10.5K

$11.72 MX$203

-37.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.32 ₩53.7K

$41.89 MX$725

-10.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 ₩8,585

$10.51 MX$182

-43.20%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₩5,735

$3.59 MX$62.0

11.14%

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

$1.89 ₩2,715

$1.51 MX$26.10

25.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ₩1,979

$0.92 MX$15.83

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.64 ₩5,240

$2.96 MX$51.2

22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 ₩8,593

$4.41 MX$76.3

35.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₩3,398

$1.40 MX$24.16

68.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 ₩5,038

$1.88 MX$32.60

86.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,443

$1.56 MX$26.97

98.08%

Eggs

$2.86 ₩4,108

$2.61 MX$45.14

9.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 ₩14.9K

$8.32 MX$144

24.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 ₩11.6K

$8.35 MX$145

-3.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.31 ₩39.3K

$10.86 MX$188

151.47%

Apples (1kg)

$8.23 ₩11.8K

$2.71 MX$46.93

203.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 ₩4,644

$1.51 MX$26.04

113.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.46 ₩10.7K

$1.87 MX$32.41

298.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.37 ₩7,720

$2.19 MX$37.89

145.21%

Potato (1kg)

$4.99 ₩7,174

$1.86 MX$32.14

168.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 ₩4,235

$2.23 MX$38.59

31.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 ₩2,882

$1.07 MX$18.48

86.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,657

$1.09 MX$18.79

5.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ₩4,845

$4.19 MX$72.4

-19.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.21 ₩24.7K

$10.43 MX$180

65.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₩2,440

$1.66 MX$28.68

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₩4,959

$2.61 MX$45.19

32.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ₩1,538

$0.54 MX$9.37

98.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 ₩5,166

$3.08 MX$53.3

16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₩1,158

$2.40 MX$41.61

-66.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.73 ₩24.1K

$3.13 MX$54.1

434.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₩1,666

$1.31 MX$22.69

-11.45%

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

$28.2K ₩40.5M

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-5.45%

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

$25.5K ₩36.6M

$23.3K MX$403.5K

9.21%

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

$190 ₩273.2K

$81.3 MX$1,406

133.72%

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

$50.6 ₩72.8K

$22.56 MX$390

124.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.02 ₩38.9K

$30.05 MX$520

-10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.95 ₩69.0K

$52.9 MX$915

-9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 ₩16.2K

$4.92 MX$85.1

129.47%

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

$492 ₩707.7K

$201 MX$3,474

145.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ₩20.2M

$5,175 MX$89.5K

170.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 ₩145.6K

$35.92 MX$622

181.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.72 ₩68.6K

$40.13 MX$694

18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 ₩127.9K

$79.7 MX$1,379

11.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩167.0K

$86.5 MX$1,496

34.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ₩658.2K

$978 MX$16.9K

-53.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ₩531.8K

$470 MX$8,140

-21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₩1.5M

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-36.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.1M

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-36.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,779 ₩11.2M

$3,953 MX$68.4K

96.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,686 ₩6.7M

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-29.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,316 ₩3.3M

$677 MX$11.7K

242.33%

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 Gimhae: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Gimhae and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 242% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37.00 in Gimhae vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $252, 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Gimhae. 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 runs 242% higher in Gimhae, 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: $458 in Gimhae versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Gimhae versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $37.00 in Gimhae. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,521 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gimhae 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Gimhae. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.