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: $1,498 in Gimhae versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,357 in Gimhae versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,217 in Gimhae versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gimhae is roughly 18% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gimhae is 11% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 ₩10.5K

$11.87 MX$204

-41.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 ₩55.5K

$42.90 MX$736

-14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.11 ₩9,283

$10.65 MX$183

-42.63%

Cappuccino

$4.09 ₩6,208

$3.45 MX$59.2

18.55%

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

$1.79 ₩2,724

$1.50 MX$25.81

19.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩2,086

$0.95 MX$16.28

44.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 ₩5,454

$3.03 MX$51.9

18.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 ₩8,743

$4.61 MX$79.1

24.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₩3,560

$1.38 MX$23.61

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 ₩5,266

$1.85 MX$31.70

87.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,582

$1.61 MX$27.65

87.58%

Eggs

$3.00 ₩4,558

$2.59 MX$44.51

15.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 ₩15.8K

$8.26 MX$142

25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 ₩12.4K

$8.37 MX$144

-2.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.75 ₩42.1K

$10.66 MX$183

160.32%

Apples (1kg)

$8.69 ₩13.2K

$2.63 MX$45.12

230.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ₩4,870

$1.49 MX$25.53

115.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.31 ₩11.1K

$1.92 MX$32.94

280.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 ₩7,914

$2.09 MX$35.81

149.28%

Potato (1kg)

$5.25 ₩7,968

$1.86 MX$31.88

182.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 ₩4,401

$2.26 MX$38.81

28.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 ₩3,221

$1.06 MX$18.23

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₩1,822

$1.09 MX$18.67

10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 ₩4,956

$4.15 MX$71.2

-21.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.43 ₩24.9K

$10.39 MX$178

58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₩2,577

$1.72 MX$29.59

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 ₩5,221

$2.61 MX$44.85

31.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,610

$0.54 MX$9.30

96.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₩5,484

$3.13 MX$53.7

15.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₩1,218

$2.51 MX$43.09

-68.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 ₩25.3K

$3.15 MX$54.1

428.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₩1,835

$1.27 MX$21.88

-4.72%

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

$27.3K ₩41.5M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-9.95%

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

$25.3K ₩38.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

7.34%

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

$192 ₩291.1K

$83.0 MX$1,425

130.94%

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

$51.3 ₩77.9K

$22.71 MX$390

125.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.27 ₩41.4K

$29.46 MX$506

-7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 ₩73.6K

$51.0 MX$875

-4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$11.30 ₩17.2K

$4.93 MX$84.5

129.21%

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

$484 ₩734.8K

$197 MX$3,386

145.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K ₩21.5M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

168.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 ₩154.2K

$36.90 MX$633

175.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 ₩71.8K

$39.89 MX$685

18.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 ₩133.1K

$80.0 MX$1,373

9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩180.3K

$89.5 MX$1,536

32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ₩674.9K

$956 MX$16.4K

-53.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 ₩576.8K

$477 MX$8,189

-20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 ₩1.6M

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 ₩1.1M

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-38.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K ₩16.1M

$3,918 MX$67.2K

171.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,449 ₩8.3M

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-15.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,204 ₩3.3M

$667 MX$11.4K

230.38%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Gimhae and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 230% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $448 vs $250, 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 18% 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.

Gimhae pays 230% 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: $444 in Gimhae versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Gimhae versus $197 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 $43.00 versus $37.00 in Gimhae. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,498 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 $1,271 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 18% less than in Gimhae. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.