Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iksan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,425 in Iksan, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Iksan
Learn more

Iksan Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Iksan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,425 per month in Iksan vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iksan $1,425
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,209 per month in Iksan vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iksan $2,209
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,994 per month in Iksan vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Iksan $2,994
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Iksan costs about 18% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Iksan sits 5% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.97 ₩8,018

$10.92 MX$204

-45.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.23 ₩46.0K

$43.37 MX$808

-21.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 ₩9,143

$11.78 MX$220

-42.19%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,908

$3.81 MX$71.0

-3.94%

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

$1.62 ₩2,173

$1.28 MX$23.90

26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩845

$0.78 MX$14.59

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,700

$3.17 MX$59.0

10.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 ₩5,870

$4.93 MX$92.0

-11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 ₩3,050

$1.41 MX$26.22

60.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₩4,267

$2.22 MX$41.33

43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 ₩3,153

$1.42 MX$26.42

65.49%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,383

$2.52 MX$47.03

29.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.98 ₩21.5K

$7.26 MX$135

120.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 ₩10.9K

$7.70 MX$143

5.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$12.69 MX$237

-10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.69 ₩10.3K

$2.78 MX$51.9

176.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,326

$1.37 MX$25.50

135.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 ₩10.0K

$2.55 MX$47.55

193.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.83 ₩9,168

$2.12 MX$39.58

222.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 ₩4,831

$1.94 MX$36.13

85.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,252

$1.89 MX$35.16

28.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$1.15 MX$21.37

77.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 ₩1,807

$1.18 MX$21.98

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,621

$4.30 MX$80.1

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.3K

$9.95 MX$185

89.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ₩3,008

$1.58 MX$29.52

41.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 ₩4,525

$2.67 MX$49.79

26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,486

$0.55 MX$10.31

101.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 ₩4,845

$4.97 MX$92.6

-27.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩890

$3.33 MX$62.1

-80.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.02 ₩12.1K

$5.36 MX$99.8

68.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ₩1,800

$1.44 MX$26.92

-6.94%

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

$29.0K ₩39.0M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

40.55%

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

$36.3K ₩48.7M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

54.60%

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

$211 ₩283.4K

$84.8 MX$1,581

148.93%

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

$43.19 ₩58.0K

$23.41 MX$436

84.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.62 ₩27.7K

$28.66 MX$534

-28.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ₩71.8K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-6.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.03 ₩18.8K

$28.91 MX$539

-51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$5.14 MX$95.8

121.98%

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

$298 ₩400.5K

$207 MX$3,851

44.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.8M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

350.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 ₩87.7K

$43.35 MX$808

50.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 ₩85.3K

$41.44 MX$772

53.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.3 ₩101.1K

$74.2 MX$1,383

1.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.0 ₩132.9K

$89.3 MX$1,664

10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 ₩666.6K

$980 MX$18.3K

-49.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ₩485.6K

$381 MX$7,099

-5.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 ₩1.0M

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-29.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,047 ₩9.5M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

78.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,569 ₩7.5M

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-9.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,734 ₩2.3M

$735 MX$13.7K

136.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

11.45

-64.19%

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

Last update for Iksan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Iksan

$417 29.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 38.9% $162

Accommodation & Living

Iksan

$362 25.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 5.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iksan

$275 19.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50.2% $138

Eating Out

Iksan

$147 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 37.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Iksan

$136 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Iksan

$76 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.8% $9

Getting Around

Iksan

$11 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 345% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $496 in Iksan versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Iksan are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Iksan versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $417 in Iksan vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Iksan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

13:42 1:42 PM

14 h behind Iksan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

307,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iksan Playa del Carmen 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Iksan
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

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

Iksan costs about 18% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,137 per month in Iksan and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iksan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $496 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Iksan and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Iksan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,425 in Iksan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iksan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.