Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gimhae

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,553 in Gimhae, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Gimhae
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Gimhae Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Gimhae

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Gimhae

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Gimhae actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,553 in Gimhae.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Gimhae $1,553

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,462 in Gimhae.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Gimhae $2,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,371 in Gimhae.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Gimhae $3,371

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 23% less than in Gimhae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Gimhae is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$7.61 ₩10.2K

40.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$49.21 ₩66.0K

-10.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$6.69 ₩8,970

76.23%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$3.76 ₩5,037

0.80%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.87 ₩2,510

-30.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.39 ₩1,865

-40.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$3.76 ₩5,041

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$4.39 ₩5,882

12.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.31 ₩3,102

-38.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$3.24 ₩4,344

-32.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$3.05 ₩4,093

-51.80%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.61 ₩3,504

-4.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$11.14 ₩14.9K

-34.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$10.49 ₩14.1K

-24.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$24.45 ₩32.8K

-47.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$10.94 ₩14.7K

-73.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$3.55 ₩4,758

-61.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$8.18 ₩11.0K

-69.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$5.84 ₩7,826

-65.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$6.03 ₩8,079

-66.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$3.29 ₩4,415

-42.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.75 ₩3,686

-58.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.33 ₩1,785

-6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$3.26 ₩4,373

30.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$18.65 ₩25.0K

-47.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$2.37 ₩3,174

-32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$3.53 ₩4,732

-22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$1.21 ₩1,621

-57.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$3.47 ₩4,653

37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.67 ₩895

385.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$14.75 ₩19.8K

-63.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.27 ₩1,707

20.47%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$39.7K ₩53.2M

-46.50%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$33.4K ₩44.8M

-30.40%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$195 ₩261.8K

-57.24%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$36.82 ₩49.4K

-37.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$27.09 ₩36.3K

1.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$46.27 ₩62.0K

21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$15.19 ₩20.4K

85.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$11.94 ₩16.0K

-58.12%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$630 ₩844.4K

-67.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$21.8K ₩29.2M

-75.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$102 ₩137.1K

-57.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$65.1 ₩87.2K

-34.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$93.9 ₩125.9K

-22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$127 ₩169.9K

-30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$505 ₩676.3K

97.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$388 ₩519.8K

-1.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,203 ₩1.6M

39.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$801 ₩1.1M

34.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$7,801 ₩10.5M

-49.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$5,673 ₩7.6M

8.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$2,533 ₩3.4M

-67.15%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gimhae: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Gimhae

$388 25% 1.4% $5.4

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Gimhae

$483 31.1% 87.7% $226

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Gimhae

$167 10.7% 16.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Gimhae

$259 16.7% 93% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Gimhae

$175 11.2% 57% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Gimhae

$70 4.5% 5.6% $3.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Gimhae

$12 * 0.8% 76.9% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $505 in Gimhae. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $49 in Gimhae for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $483 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Gimhae

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

14:26 2:26 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

532,132

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1,341 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,509 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Gimhae 12,740 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Gimhae

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Gimhae. 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 67% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 in Gimhae. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $630 in Gimhae. 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 $44 versus $49 in Gimhae. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,553 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Gimhae on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.