Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

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

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,118 per month in Jeju vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Jeju $1,118
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Jeju vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Jeju $1,917
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,715 per month in Jeju vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Jeju $2,715
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Jeju is about 7% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Jeju and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Jeju 18% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 ₩9,784

$10.92 MX$205

-32.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 ₩69.2K

$43.37 MX$814

19.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ₩7,495

$11.78 MX$221

-52.38%

Cappuccino

$5.87 ₩7,834

$3.81 MX$71.5

54.07%

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

$2.19 ₩2,924

$1.28 MX$24.07

71.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ₩2,753

$0.78 MX$14.70

164.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ₩5,245

$3.17 MX$59.5

23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₩4,102

$4.93 MX$92.7

-37.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,017

$1.41 MX$26.40

60.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 ₩3,079

$2.22 MX$41.62

4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 ₩3,085

$1.42 MX$26.61

62.68%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,498

$2.52 MX$47.36

3.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ₩2,940

$1.37 MX$25.68

60.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 ₩3,960

$1.94 MX$36.39

53.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,496

$1.89 MX$35.41

-1.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 ₩3,038

$1.15 MX$21.53

98.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩624

$1.18 MX$22.13

-60.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$11.48 ₩15.3K

$9.95 MX$187

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,465

$1.58 MX$29.73

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,295

$2.67 MX$50.1

-35.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₩1,321

$0.55 MX$10.39

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,835

$1.44 MX$27.11

-4.86%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$214 ₩285.7K

$84.8 MX$1,592

152.39%

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

$54.0 ₩72.0K

$23.41 MX$439

130.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 ₩26.2K

$28.66 MX$538

-31.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K ₩33.8M

$3,927 MX$73.7K

544.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 ₩70.3K

$43.35 MX$814

21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.78 ₩39.8K

$41.44 MX$778

-28.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ₩88.9K

$74.2 MX$1,393

-10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ₩121.2K

$89.3 MX$1,676

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$461 ₩615.2K

$980 MX$18.4K

-52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₩518.2K

$381 MX$7,150

1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 ₩1.8M

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-19.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ₩1.6M

$1,075 MX$20.2K

10.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₩14.4M

$3,943 MX$74.0K

172.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,659 ₩8.9M

$6,158 MX$115.6K

8.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,883 ₩2.5M

$735 MX$13.8K

156.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Jeju: October 27, 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

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Jeju

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $461 in Jeju 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 Jeju are about 2.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Jeju versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $142 in Jeju vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

13:24 1:24 PM

14 h behind Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jeju Playa del Carmen 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Jeju
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,677 per month in Jeju 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 Jeju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $461 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Jeju and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,118 in Jeju and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,118 in Jeju to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.