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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,372 in Ansan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,108 in Ansan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,845 in Ansan.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Ansan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ansan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.50 ₩10.1K

59.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$34.19 ₩45.9K

38.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$6.78 ₩9,101

73.30%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$3.97 ₩5,324

3.78%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.57 ₩2,109

-10.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$0.77 ₩1,034

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$3.48 ₩4,668

-7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.38 ₩5,882

61.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$2.15 ₩2,886

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$3.03 ₩4,062

-29.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$2.24 ₩3,009

-20.98%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$3.39 ₩4,548

-16.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.81 ₩21.2K

-41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.74 ₩10.4K

19.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$17.01 ₩22.8K

-25.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$7.42 ₩9,959

-60.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$3.28 ₩4,408

-51.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$5.85 ₩7,849

-62.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$6.38 ₩8,558

-63.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$3.75 ₩5,031

-46.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$2.56 ₩3,429

-22.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$2.07 ₩2,784

-40.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$1.10 ₩1,477

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$3.28 ₩4,404

40.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$18.54 ₩24.9K

-43.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$2.24 ₩3,010

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$3.12 ₩4,189

-11.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$1.08 ₩1,455

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$3.72 ₩4,996

40.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.59 ₩790

518.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$9.02 ₩12.1K

-35.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.36 ₩1,818

13.24%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$29.0K ₩38.9M

-21.43%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$27.8K ₩37.3M

-7.04%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$201 ₩269.9K

-54.93%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$34.87 ₩46.8K

-27.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$20.09 ₩27.0K

58.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$11.25 ₩15.1K

-56.80%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$297 ₩398.6K

-24.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$17.7K ₩23.8M

-76.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$58.8 ₩78.8K

-19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$33.28 ₩44.7K

30.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$70.7 ₩94.9K

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$80.7 ₩108.3K

13.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$451 ₩605.6K

140.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$371 ₩497.3K

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,095 ₩1.5M

80.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$756 ₩1.0M

69.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$21.7K ₩29.1M

-81.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,512 ₩2.0M

-48.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.08

180.64%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ansan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $451 in Ansan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ansan pays 96% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Ansan. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $416, 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Ansan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $451 in Ansan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $297 in Ansan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $34.00 in Ansan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,372 in Ansan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ansan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ansan 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Ansan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.