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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,192 in Cheongju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,049 in Cheongju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,905 in Cheongju.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cheongju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Cheongju 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.25 ₩9,721

64.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$47.69 ₩64.0K

-0.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.79 ₩7,761

102.94%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.61 ₩4,836

14.13%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.77 ₩2,368

-20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.38 ₩1,846

-34.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$3.82 ₩5,126

-15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.25 ₩5,697

66.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.06 ₩2,761

-18.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.18 ₩4,262

-32.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.81 ₩2,421

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.18 ₩2,923

29.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.75 ₩14.4K

-14.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$10.50 ₩14.1K

-12.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.67 ₩19.7K

-13.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.04 ₩4,077

-2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.91 ₩3,905

-45.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$7.59 ₩10.2K

-70.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$5.83 ₩7,814

-59.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$5.90 ₩7,914

-66.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$3.41 ₩4,568

-41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.74 ₩3,669

-54.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.47 ₩626

157.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.28 ₩4,401

40.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$14.65 ₩19.7K

-28.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.91 ₩2,560

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.28 ₩3,054

21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.12 ₩1,509

-46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.71 ₩3,637

93.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.72 ₩969

406.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$16.66 ₩22.3K

-65.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.31 ₩1,755

17.56%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$28.8K ₩38.7M

-20.90%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$34.1K ₩45.7M

-24.22%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$198 ₩265.2K

-54.15%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$24.13 ₩32.4K

4.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$14.98 ₩20.1K

111.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$54.9 ₩73.6K

25.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$12.05 ₩16.2K

143.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$7.57 ₩10.1K

-35.80%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$631 ₩845.9K

-64.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$21.7K ₩29.1M

-80.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$37.58 ₩50.4K

26.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$66.0 ₩88.5K

-34.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$93.0 ₩124.7K

-13.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$113 ₩151.7K

-19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$276 ₩370.2K

293.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$212 ₩284.8K

92.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,144 ₩1.5M

72.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$721 ₩966.7K

77.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$7,052 ₩9.5M

-42.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$5,477 ₩7.3M

22.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$2,630 ₩3.5M

-70.59%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Cheongju: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Cheongju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 240% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $48.00 in Cheongju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $374 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 Cheongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 240% lower in Cheongju. 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 $276 in Cheongju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $631 in Cheongju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,192 in Cheongju versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cheongju delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,192 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cheongju hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cheongju 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.