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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,403 in Cheonan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,204 in Cheonan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,005 in Cheonan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 8% cheaper than Cheonan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Cheonan is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$7.36 ₩9,982

59.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$21.53 ₩29.2K

116.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$4.20 ₩5,692

177.38%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.47 ₩1,994

178.23%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.14 ₩1,544

20.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.35 ₩1,830

-38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.20 ₩2,986

52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$4.21 ₩5,704

64.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.55 ₩2,104

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$3.16 ₩4,285

-28.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.98 ₩4,042

-40.60%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$2.59 ₩3,516

5.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$10.71 ₩14.5K

-14.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.11 ₩13.7K

-11.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$24.13 ₩32.7K

-47.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$10.67 ₩14.5K

-71.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$3.51 ₩4,757

-55.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$7.99 ₩10.8K

-73.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$5.60 ₩7,586

-59.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$5.71 ₩7,741

-64.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$3.14 ₩4,263

-34.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$2.79 ₩3,780

-57.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.31 ₩1,771

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$3.26 ₩4,425

42.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$17.74 ₩24.1K

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$2.39 ₩3,242

-32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$3.37 ₩4,570

-14.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$1.10 ₩1,485

-48.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.88 ₩3,904

89.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.75 ₩1,017

393.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$16.10 ₩21.8K

-62.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.18 ₩1,604

31.36%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$28.9K ₩39.2M

-22.75%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$32.8K ₩44.5M

-20.87%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$191 ₩259.2K

-53.37%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$34.82 ₩47.2K

-28.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$25.91 ₩35.1K

21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$54.9 ₩74.5K

23.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$11.69 ₩15.8K

147.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$11.64 ₩15.8K

-56.62%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$611 ₩828.3K

-63.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$20.7K ₩28.1M

-79.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$66.4 ₩90.0K

-28.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$58.2 ₩78.9K

-22.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$90.6 ₩122.8K

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$125 ₩169.9K

-26.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$426 ₩577.5K

151.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$341 ₩462.6K

18.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,111 ₩1.5M

74.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$704 ₩954.6K

84.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$7,494 ₩10.2M

-46.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$5,453 ₩7.4M

21.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$1,755 ₩2.4M

-57.33%

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: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cheonan: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $426 in Cheonan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 134% higher in Cheonan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Cheonan. Groceries tell a different story – $277 in Playa del Carmen vs $463 in Cheonan – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cheonan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheonan costs about 8% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,104 in Cheonan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $1,403 in Cheonan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $611 in Cheonan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Cheonan at $1,403. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cheonan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $1,403 in Cheonan. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cheonan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.