Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilsan and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,451 in Ilsan, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Ilsan
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Ilsan Living Index
58

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

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Ilsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,451

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Ilsan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Ilsan $1,451
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ilsan versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Ilsan $2,327
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Ilsan versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Ilsan $3,204
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Ilsan is roughly 20% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilsan is 7% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.71 ₩10.3K

$10.92 MX$203

-29.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 ₩89.9K

$43.37 MX$808

54.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.66 ₩10.3K

$11.78 MX$219

-34.97%

Cappuccino

$4.02 ₩5,386

$3.81 MX$71.0

5.51%

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

$1.63 ₩2,191

$1.28 MX$23.89

27.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,054

$0.78 MX$14.58

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.73 ₩5,005

$3.17 MX$59.0

17.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 ₩8,202

$4.93 MX$91.9

24.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ₩2,849

$1.41 MX$26.20

51.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 ₩4,057

$2.22 MX$41.30

36.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ₩3,014

$1.42 MX$26.40

58.45%

Eggs

$3.38 ₩4,535

$2.52 MX$47.00

34.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 ₩21.5K

$7.26 MX$135

121.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.80 ₩10.5K

$7.70 MX$143

1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ₩15.2K

$12.69 MX$236

-10.40%

Apples (1kg)

$7.74 ₩10.4K

$2.78 MX$51.9

178.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.31 ₩4,440

$1.37 MX$25.49

141.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 ₩7,581

$2.55 MX$47.52

121.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.25 ₩8,382

$2.12 MX$39.55

194.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.47 ₩4,647

$1.94 MX$36.11

78.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 ₩3,241

$1.89 MX$35.13

28.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,737

$1.15 MX$21.36

77.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₩1,471

$1.18 MX$21.96

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,465

$4.30 MX$80.0

-22.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.82 ₩25.2K

$9.95 MX$185

89.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,975

$1.58 MX$29.50

40.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₩4,342

$2.67 MX$49.76

21.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,476

$0.55 MX$10.31

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.46 ₩66.3K

$26.62 MX$496

85.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ₩4,848

$4.97 MX$92.6

-27.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 ₩893

$3.33 MX$62.1

-79.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 ₩12.2K

$5.36 MX$99.8

69.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,806

$1.44 MX$26.90

-6.25%

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

$30.1K ₩40.3M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

45.63%

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

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

20.24%

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

$213 ₩286.0K

$84.8 MX$1,580

151.61%

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

$35.99 ₩48.2K

$23.41 MX$436

53.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.31 ₩28.6K

$28.66 MX$534

-25.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 ₩73.8K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-3.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.03 ₩18.8K

$28.91 MX$539

-51.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 ₩15.3K

$5.14 MX$95.7

121.60%

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

$380 ₩509.2K

$207 MX$3,848

83.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.8M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

351.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ₩79.4K

$43.35 MX$808

36.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.99 ₩44.2K

$41.44 MX$772

-20.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 ₩95.1K

$74.2 MX$1,382

-4.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ₩112.3K

$89.3 MX$1,663

-6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 ₩660.5K

$980 MX$18.2K

-49.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 ₩479.1K

$381 MX$7,095

-6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ₩1.6M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-32.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,170 ₩9.6M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

81.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,436 ₩7.3M

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-11.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,539 ₩4.7M

$735 MX$13.7K

381.75%

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 Ilsan: October 25, 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

Ilsan

$400 27.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 36.2% $145

Accommodation & Living

Ilsan

$357 24.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 6.5% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilsan

$271 18.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 49.4% $134

Eating Out

Ilsan

$173 12%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 16.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Ilsan

$111 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 0.5% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ilsan

$78 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 13.5% $11

Getting Around

Ilsan

$61 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 17% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Ilsan and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilsan pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Ilsan vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ilsan

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

00:52 12:52 AM

14 h behind Ilsan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,061,752

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ilsan Playa del Carmen 12,630 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilsan
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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Ilsan is about 4.8 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: $493 in Ilsan versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,451 per month in Ilsan versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 46% less than in Ilsan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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, Ilsan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.