Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gwangju and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,341 in Gwangju, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gwangju
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Gwangju Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Gwangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,341

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Gwangju versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Gwangju $1,341
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,048 in Gwangju versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Gwangju $2,048
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Gwangju versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Gwangju $2,756
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Gwangju is roughly 11% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gwangju 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.02 ₩8,080

$10.92 MX$204

-44.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.32 ₩46.1K

$43.37 MX$808

-20.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 ₩7,817

$11.78 MX$220

-50.59%

Cappuccino

$3.17 ₩4,258

$3.81 MX$71.0

-16.80%

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

$1.59 ₩2,141

$1.28 MX$23.90

24.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩848

$0.78 MX$14.59

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₩3,197

$3.17 MX$59.0

-24.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 ₩6,170

$4.93 MX$92.0

-6.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 ₩2,312

$1.41 MX$26.22

21.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 ₩3,348

$2.22 MX$41.33

12.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,075

$1.42 MX$26.42

61.27%

Eggs

$2.64 ₩3,541

$2.52 MX$47.03

4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ₩11.8K

$7.26 MX$135

21.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 ₩10.5K

$7.70 MX$143

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 ₩15.0K

$12.69 MX$237

-12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 ₩6,934

$2.78 MX$51.9

85.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,050

$1.37 MX$25.50

120.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 ₩5,000

$2.55 MX$47.55

45.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 ₩4,144

$2.12 MX$39.58

45.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,835

$1.94 MX$36.13

85.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,541

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 ₩2,838

$1.15 MX$21.37

83.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,725

$1.18 MX$21.98

8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 ₩4,515

$4.30 MX$80.1

-21.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 ₩15.0K

$9.95 MX$185

12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₩2,031

$1.58 MX$29.52

-4.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,100

$2.67 MX$49.79

-13.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 ₩1,351

$0.55 MX$10.31

83.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 ₩92.4K

$26.62 MX$496

158.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 ₩4,102

$4.97 MX$92.6

-38.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩854

$3.33 MX$62.1

-80.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 ₩10.5K

$5.36 MX$99.8

46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,617

$1.44 MX$26.92

-16.67%

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

$28.1K ₩37.7M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

35.81%

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

$35.2K ₩47.3M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

50.10%

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

$212 ₩284.5K

$84.8 MX$1,581

149.85%

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

$44.13 ₩59.3K

$23.41 MX$436

88.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 ₩27.7K

$28.66 MX$534

-27.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 ₩74.3K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-2.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.36 ₩19.3K

$28.91 MX$539

-50.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩15.0K

$5.14 MX$95.8

117.90%

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

$299 ₩401.2K

$207 MX$3,851

44.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₩23.5M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

345.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.50 ₩43.6K

$43.35 MX$808

-25.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.36 ₩35.4K

$41.44 MX$772

-36.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 ₩85.8K

$74.2 MX$1,383

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.7K

$89.3 MX$1,664

0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 ₩682.6K

$980 MX$18.3K

-48.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 ₩496.4K

$381 MX$7,099

-2.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.6M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩998.6K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-30.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,980 ₩10.7M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

102.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,343 ₩8.5M

$6,158 MX$114.8K

3.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 ₩3.8M

$735 MX$13.7K

285.80%

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: October 24, 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

Gwangju

$370 27.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 3% $11

Groceries & Markets

Gwangju

$308 23%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 17.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gwangju

$277 20.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50.5% $140

Eating Out

Gwangju

$134 10%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 51.4% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Gwangju

$96 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 16.7% $16

Getting Around

Gwangju

$79 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 36.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Gwangju

$78 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 13.4% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Gwangju and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34 in Gwangju vs $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $255, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gwangju

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:37 5:37 AM

15:37 3:37 PM

14 h behind Gwangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,467,996

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gwangju Playa del Carmen 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Gwangju
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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 10% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Gwangju is about 3.9 times higher, 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: $508 in Gwangju versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gwangju – a meal for two runs $34 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,341 per month in Gwangju versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Playa del Carmen gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.