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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Gwangju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,035 in Gwangju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,760 in Gwangju.

Monthly costs are close between Playa del Carmen and Gwangju; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.09 ₩8,171

96.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$35.02 ₩47.0K

35.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.94 ₩7,961

97.81%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.19 ₩4,272

29.15%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.54 ₩2,061

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.58 ₩778

56.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.35 ₩3,152

36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.40 ₩5,906

60.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.78 ₩2,382

-5.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.46 ₩3,294

-12.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.34 ₩3,143

-24.36%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.63 ₩3,521

7.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.09 ₩12.2K

1.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.89 ₩10.6K

16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$10.96 ₩14.7K

15.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$5.29 ₩7,099

-44.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.94 ₩3,943

-46.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.76 ₩5,038

-40.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.92 ₩3,918

-19.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$3.44 ₩4,611

-42.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.83 ₩2,460

8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.08 ₩2,795

-40.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.27 ₩1,708

-4.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.41 ₩4,578

34.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$11.10 ₩14.9K

-5.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.45 ₩1,941

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.19 ₩2,942

26.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.00 ₩1,335

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$66.5 ₩89.2K

-55.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.99 ₩4,014

75.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.62 ₩838

488.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$7.76 ₩10.4K

-25.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.22 ₩1,630

26.23%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$28.1K ₩37.7M

-18.85%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$34.9K ₩46.9M

-26.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$207 ₩277.6K

-56.20%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$43.65 ₩58.5K

-42.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$21.13 ₩28.3K

50.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$58.8 ₩78.9K

16.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$10.49 ₩14.1K

179.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$11.31 ₩15.2K

-57.03%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$301 ₩403.2K

-24.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$17.4K ₩23.3M

-75.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$30.98 ₩41.5K

52.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$26.13 ₩35.0K

66.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$63.8 ₩85.6K

25.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$90.0 ₩120.7K

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$506 ₩679.2K

114.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$360 ₩482.2K

13.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,167 ₩1.6M

68.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$732 ₩981.2K

75.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$7,825 ₩10.5M

-48.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$6,331 ₩8.5M

5.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$2,873 ₩3.9M

-73.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.6

218.06%

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 Gwangju: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $506 in Gwangju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gwangju pays 271% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $35.00 in Gwangju. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $307, 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 Gwangju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 271% lower in Gwangju. 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 $506 in Gwangju. 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 124% less than in Gwangju. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Gwangju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Gwangju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gwangju. 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 Gwangju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gwangju are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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