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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Jeonju versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,913 in Jeonju versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,582 in Jeonju versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Jeonju costs roughly 1% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jeonju 7% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 ₩9,690

$11.67 MX$202

-43.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.84 ₩41.2K

$41.88 MX$726

-33.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 ₩7,735

$10.40 MX$180

-49.71%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₩5,502

$3.61 MX$62.6

3.05%

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

$1.07 ₩1,588

$1.47 MX$25.45

-27.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₩992

$0.91 MX$15.80

-26.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 ₩2,868

$3.03 MX$52.6

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ₩4,463

$4.47 MX$77.4

-32.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₩2,957

$1.38 MX$23.83

44.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 ₩3,294

$1.84 MX$31.93

21.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 ₩4,538

$1.61 MX$27.82

90.68%

Eggs

$2.95 ₩4,365

$2.57 MX$44.52

14.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.52 ₩15.5K

$8.49 MX$147

23.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 ₩12.3K

$8.49 MX$147

-1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.69 ₩40.9K

$10.99 MX$190

151.96%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩12.5K

$2.73 MX$47.25

210.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,836

$1.50 MX$25.92

118.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.28 ₩10.8K

$1.96 MX$33.93

271.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 ₩7,846

$2.12 MX$36.70

150.47%

Potato (1kg)

$5.00 ₩7,399

$1.86 MX$32.30

168.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 ₩4,386

$2.17 MX$37.67

36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 ₩3,111

$1.07 MX$18.59

96.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,713

$1.05 MX$18.18

10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ₩4,796

$4.19 MX$72.6

-22.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩24.5K

$10.28 MX$178

61.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₩2,587

$1.67 MX$28.87

4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₩4,884

$2.49 MX$43.12

32.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,628

$0.54 MX$9.37

103.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ₩5,121

$3.10 MX$53.8

11.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 ₩1,245

$2.46 MX$42.66

-65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩24.9K

$3.24 MX$56.1

419.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,776

$1.26 MX$21.83

-4.76%

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

$27.7K ₩40.9M

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-8.32%

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

$25.3K ₩37.4M

$23.4K MX$406.3K

7.95%

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

$190 ₩280.3K

$84.0 MX$1,456

125.76%

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

$50.1 ₩74.1K

$22.21 MX$385

125.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 ₩32.3K

$29.65 MX$514

-26.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.36 ₩70.0K

$52.6 MX$912

-10.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 ₩12.8K

$4.95 MX$85.7

74.95%

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

$486 ₩718.3K

$198 MX$3,438

144.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K ₩20.9M

$5,322 MX$92.2K

165.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.53 ₩43.7K

$35.95 MX$623

-17.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.99 ₩71.0K

$40.06 MX$694

19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.2 ₩97.8K

$78.8 MX$1,365

-16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩173.7K

$86.5 MX$1,499

35.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 ₩417.6K

$977 MX$16.9K

-71.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 ₩330.0K

$471 MX$8,158

-52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 ₩828.7K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-64.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 ₩684.2K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-61.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

11.42

-63.05%

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

Last update for Jeonju: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Jeonju and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Jeonju vs $42 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $432 vs $252, 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

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

Jeonju is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,866 in Jeonju and $1,891 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $282 in Jeonju versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $486 in Jeonju versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeonju – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Jeonju versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Jeonju 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.

Expats usually find Jeonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.