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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,309 in Gwangju versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,035 in Gwangju versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,760 in Gwangju versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs are close between Gwangju and Playa del Carmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gwangju 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 ₩8,171

$11.96 MX$203

-49.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.02 ₩47.0K

$47.38 MX$804

-26.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 ₩7,961

$11.75 MX$199

-49.45%

Cappuccino

$3.19 ₩4,272

$4.12 MX$70.0

-22.57%

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

$1.54 ₩2,061

$1.40 MX$23.74

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₩778

$0.91 MX$15.48

-36.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ₩3,152

$3.21 MX$54.4

-26.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,906

$7.07 MX$120

-37.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₩2,382

$1.68 MX$28.44

5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 ₩3,294

$2.15 MX$36.48

14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,143

$1.77 MX$30.10

32.20%

Eggs

$2.63 ₩3,521

$2.82 MX$47.76

-6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 ₩12.2K

$9.20 MX$156

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 ₩10.6K

$9.23 MX$157

-14.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ₩14.7K

$12.64 MX$214

-13.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 ₩7,099

$2.95 MX$50.1

79.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 ₩3,943

$1.58 MX$26.79

86.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 ₩5,038

$2.22 MX$37.70

69.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 ₩3,918

$2.36 MX$40.09

23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₩4,611

$1.99 MX$33.81

72.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 ₩2,460

$1.98 MX$33.58

-7.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,795

$1.24 MX$21.04

67.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,708

$1.21 MX$20.55

4.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₩4,578

$4.60 MX$78.1

-25.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 ₩14.9K

$10.52 MX$178

5.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ₩1,941

$1.69 MX$28.70

-14.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₩2,942

$2.77 MX$47.06

-20.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₩1,335

$0.60 MX$10.22

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.5 ₩89.2K

$29.70 MX$504

123.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 ₩4,014

$5.24 MX$88.8

-42.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₩838

$3.65 MX$61.9

-83.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 ₩10.4K

$5.78 MX$98.1

34.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ₩1,630

$1.54 MX$26.09

-20.78%

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

$28.1K ₩37.7M

$22.8K MX$386.8K

23.23%

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

$34.9K ₩46.9M

$25.8K MX$437.9K

35.39%

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

$207 ₩277.6K

$90.7 MX$1,538

128.33%

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

$43.65 ₩58.5K

$25.19 MX$427

73.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 ₩28.3K

$31.75 MX$539

-33.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 ₩78.9K

$68.8 MX$1,167

-14.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.49 ₩14.1K

$29.37 MX$498

-64.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.2K

$4.86 MX$82.5

132.72%

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

$301 ₩403.2K

$226 MX$3,828

33.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₩23.3M

$4,194 MX$71.1K

313.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.98 ₩41.5K

$47.38 MX$804

-34.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.13 ₩35.0K

$43.45 MX$737

-39.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.8 ₩85.6K

$80.2 MX$1,361

-20.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ₩120.7K

$91.4 MX$1,550

-1.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₩679.2K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-53.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ₩482.2K

$409 MX$6,933

-12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 ₩1.6M

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-40.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₩981.2K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-42.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,825 ₩10.5M

$4,046 MX$68.6K

93.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,331 ₩8.5M

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-5.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,873 ₩3.9M

$773 MX$13.1K

271.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

11.45

-68.56%

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

Last update for Gwangju: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Gwangju and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 271% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35.00 in Gwangju vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $307 vs $278, 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

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

Average pay runs 271% higher in Gwangju, 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: $506 in Gwangju versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 124% less than in Gwangju. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Gwangju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Gwangju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gwangju. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gwangju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gwangju 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Gwangju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.