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: $1,487 in Gimhae versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Gimhae versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,138 in Gimhae versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gimhae is roughly 16% 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 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.24 ₩10.7K

$11.94 MX$208

-39.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.05 ₩54.6K

$42.75 MX$744

-13.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.91 ₩8,702

$10.59 MX$184

-44.19%

Cappuccino

$4.04 ₩5,954

$3.62 MX$63.0

11.60%

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

$1.80 ₩2,655

$1.47 MX$25.54

22.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,952

$0.94 MX$16.41

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.78 ₩5,566

$3.09 MX$53.8

22.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 ₩8,837

$4.46 MX$77.6

34.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 ₩3,355

$1.43 MX$24.80

59.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 ₩5,264

$1.88 MX$32.79

89.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 ₩4,531

$1.63 MX$28.34

88.96%

Eggs

$2.86 ₩4,219

$2.64 MX$45.99

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.54 ₩15.5K

$8.21 MX$143

28.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 ₩12.4K

$8.29 MX$144

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.88 ₩41.1K

$11.10 MX$193

151.17%

Apples (1kg)

$8.66 ₩12.8K

$2.65 MX$46.14

226.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 ₩4,567

$1.50 MX$26.11

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 ₩10.9K

$1.99 MX$34.59

270.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 ₩7,829

$2.08 MX$36.13

155.29%

Potato (1kg)

$5.16 ₩7,606

$1.79 MX$31.11

188.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 ₩4,262

$2.18 MX$37.87

32.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩3,066

$1.08 MX$18.73

92.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,688

$1.04 MX$18.04

10.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,974

$3.97 MX$69.1

-14.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.06 ₩25.1K

$10.20 MX$178

67.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ₩2,594

$1.73 MX$30.04

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₩5,153

$2.50 MX$43.46

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,653

$0.52 MX$9.02

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ₩5,104

$3.14 MX$54.7

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,156

$2.40 MX$41.80

-67.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.60 ₩24.5K

$3.09 MX$53.7

437.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₩1,710

$1.27 MX$22.16

-8.66%

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

$27.5K ₩40.4M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-11.11%

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

$24.8K ₩36.6M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

6.55%

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

$186 ₩274.3K

$82.0 MX$1,427

127.00%

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

$50.8 ₩74.8K

$22.45 MX$391

126.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 ₩41.3K

$29.66 MX$516

-5.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.06 ₩69.3K

$51.9 MX$903

-9.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 ₩16.8K

$4.97 MX$86.5

129.98%

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

$480 ₩707.6K

$198 MX$3,442

142.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K ₩20.7M

$5,273 MX$91.7K

166.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩151.4K

$36.34 MX$632

182.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.00 ₩69.2K

$40.05 MX$697

17.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 ₩130.0K

$79.9 MX$1,390

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₩174.7K

$88.9 MX$1,547

33.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 ₩674.5K

$963 MX$16.8K

-52.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩543.5K

$465 MX$8,086

-20.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₩1.6M

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-32.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 ₩1.1M

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-36.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,748 ₩12.9M

$3,942 MX$68.6K

121.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,092 ₩9.0M

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-5.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,263 ₩3.3M

$720 MX$12.5K

214.14%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Gimhae and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 214% 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 $451 vs $251, 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 16% 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 214% 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: $458 in Gimhae versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $480 in Gimhae versus $198 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,487 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 $1,287 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 16% less than in Gimhae. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.