Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaesong and Playa del Carmen

Kaesong
🇰🇵 North Korea
-
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$10.97 MX$200
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$44.85 MX$819
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$11.92 MX$218
-
Cappuccino
-
$3.80 MX$69.5
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.31 MX$23.95
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.86 MX$15.63
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.21 MX$58.6
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$5.01 MX$91.5
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$1.46 MX$26.62
-
White Bread (500g)
-
$2.33 MX$42.48
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.44 MX$26.34
-
Eggs
-
$2.46 MX$44.94
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.70 MX$141
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.89 MX$144
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.80 MX$234
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.92 MX$53.3
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.42 MX$25.96
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.57 MX$46.84
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.14 MX$39.02
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.95 MX$35.55
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.94 MX$35.35
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.15 MX$21.01
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.22 MX$22.29
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.38 MX$79.9
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.85 MX$180
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.54 MX$28.07
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.72 MX$49.58
-
🚌 Getting Around
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.52 MX$9.58
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.42 MX$501
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.91 MX$89.7
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.52 MX$64.3
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.69 MX$104
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.54 MX$28.12
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$21.2K MX$387.8K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$24.5K MX$447.1K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$83.6 MX$1,527
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$24.03 MX$439
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$29.33 MX$536
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$64.9 MX$1,184
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.46 MX$538
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$5.09 MX$92.9
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$208 MX$3,792
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$4,045 MX$73.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$44.55 MX$813
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$42.06 MX$768
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$75.5 MX$1,379
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$91.4 MX$1,668
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$986 MX$18.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$385 MX$7,033
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,713 MX$31.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,108 MX$20.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,016 MX$73.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,247 MX$114.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kaesong
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$758 MX$13.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
11.45
-

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

Last update for Kaesong: October 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$385
Groceries & Markets
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$260
Eating Out
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$204
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$114
Sport & Entertainment
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$75
Getting Around
Kaesong
–
Playa del Carmen
$52
Good to know
🇰🇵 Kaesong
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
15:49 3:49 PM
01:49 1:49 AM
14 h behind Kaesong
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
308,000
149,923
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

USD exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kaesong Playa del Carmen 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kaesong
  • 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
Kaesong vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where should families live: Kaesong or Playa del Carmen?
Families tend to lean toward Kaesong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Kaesong and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Kaesong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Kaesong vs other spots: cost of living compared

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?