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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,568 in Busan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,485 in Busan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,402 in Busan.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 19% less than in Busan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Busan is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 MX$204

$7.44 ₩10.1K

54.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.90 MX$832

$47.61 ₩64.6K

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 MX$211

$6.42 ₩8,710

85.36%

Cappuccino

$4.02 MX$71.4

$3.56 ₩4,826

12.92%

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

$1.37 MX$24.27

$1.82 ₩2,473

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.47

$1.41 ₩1,911

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 MX$58.6

$3.66 ₩4,972

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 MX$119

$4.07 ₩5,521

64.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$29.13

$2.32 ₩3,143

-29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$38.12

$3.07 ₩4,170

-29.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$31.43

$2.99 ₩4,053

-40.80%

Eggs

$2.75 MX$48.81

$2.53 ₩3,427

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 MX$162

$10.61 ₩14.4K

-13.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$164

$10.10 ₩13.7K

-8.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 MX$220

$24.30 ₩33.0K

-48.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$51.5

$10.75 ₩14.6K

-73.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.58

$3.48 ₩4,715

-56.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$38.34

$7.91 ₩10.7K

-72.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 MX$39.83

$5.80 ₩7,868

-61.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.87

$5.94 ₩8,058

-65.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$35.85

$3.28 ₩4,448

-38.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$21.19

$2.76 ₩3,741

-56.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$20.13

$1.28 ₩1,738

-11.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MX$78.5

$3.29 ₩4,468

34.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 MX$189

$18.51 ₩25.1K

-42.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.75

$2.28 ₩3,094

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 MX$51.5

$3.32 ₩4,508

-12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.71

$1.10 ₩1,496

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.09 MX$516

$57.7 ₩78.3K

-49.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$94.3

$3.56 ₩4,826

49.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.57 MX$63.3

$0.76 ₩1,026

369.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 MX$104

$16.08 ₩21.8K

-63.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$26.76

$1.35 ₩1,825

11.85%

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

$22.3K MX$396.4K

$28.2K ₩38.3M

-20.83%

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

$25.7K MX$455.1K

$32.1K ₩43.6M

-20.19%

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

$90.6 MX$1,606

$198 ₩269.1K

-54.36%

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

$25.44 MX$451

$35.44 ₩48.1K

-28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.61 MX$543

$25.96 ₩35.2K

17.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 MX$1,187

$61.5 ₩83.4K

8.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.47 MX$523

$9.41 ₩12.8K

213.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MX$87.0

$11.49 ₩15.6K

-57.27%

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

$216 MX$3,825

$622 ₩843.9K

-65.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,125 MX$73.2K

$21.1K ₩28.7M

-80.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.02 MX$816

$100 ₩136.1K

-54.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.24 MX$785

$64.7 ₩87.8K

-31.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MX$1,390

$92.5 ₩125.4K

-15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 MX$1,633

$122 ₩165.3K

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MX$18.8K

$694 ₩942.0K

52.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,992

$350 ₩474.8K

12.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 MX$37.6K

$1,295 ₩1.8M

63.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 MX$22.3K

$689 ₩935.1K

82.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,072 MX$72.2K

$10.0K ₩13.6M

-59.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,606 MX$117.2K

$6,343 ₩8.6M

4.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$13.3K

$2,708 ₩3.7M

-72.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.22

171.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 21, 2026

Last update for Busan: September 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,061 in Playa del Carmen and $694 in Busan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Busan pays 260% 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 $48.00 in Busan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $472 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Busan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Busan. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 260% lower in Busan. 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: $1,061 in Playa del Carmen versus $694 in Busan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 98% less than in Busan. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $216 in Playa del Carmen versus $622 in Busan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,568 in Busan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Busan. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Busan 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 24% less than in Busan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.