Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gyeongju

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,236 in Gyeongju, rent and utilities included – about $410 less a year. The total is higher in Gyeongju despite lower rent and utilities.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,236

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Gyeongju actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,236 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Gyeongju $1,236

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,053 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Gyeongju $2,053

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,871 in Gyeongju, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Gyeongju $2,871

Playa del Carmen is about 3% cheaper than Gyeongju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gyeongju are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Gyeongju 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$7.38 ₩9,898

44.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$47.59 ₩63.8K

-7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$6.45 ₩8,652

82.79%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$2.99 ₩4,005

26.76%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.13 ₩1,518

15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.36 ₩482

130.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$2.62 ₩3,507

20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$4.21 ₩5,640

17.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.33 ₩3,117

-39.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$2.53 ₩3,394

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$3.07 ₩4,122

-52.12%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$2.57 ₩3,450

-2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$10.82 ₩14.5K

-32.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$10.34 ₩13.9K

-23.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$18.74 ₩25.1K

-31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$4.42 ₩5,930

-34.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.67 ₩3,577

-48.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$3.73 ₩5,003

-33.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$3.65 ₩4,896

-44.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$2.54 ₩3,406

-20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.27 ₩3,043

-16.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.18 ₩2,921

-47.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.31 ₩1,761

-5.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$3.40 ₩4,556

25.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$14.95 ₩20.0K

-34.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.09 ₩1,463

45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.16 ₩2,901

27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$1.03 ₩1,379

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.99 ₩4,014

59.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.62 ₩828

424.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$15.01 ₩20.1K

-64.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.06 ₩1,417

44.34%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$38.5K ₩51.6M

-44.93%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$33.9K ₩45.5M

-31.40%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$79.4 ₩106.5K

5.11%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$36.57 ₩49.0K

-36.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$27.28 ₩36.6K

1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$54.4 ₩72.9K

3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$15.33 ₩20.5K

83.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$11.20 ₩15.0K

-55.36%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$639 ₩856.6K

-67.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-76.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$44.27 ₩59.4K

-1.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$22.44 ₩30.1K

89.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$94.0 ₩126.0K

-22.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$124 ₩166.6K

-28.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$430 ₩576.0K

131.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$376 ₩504.7K

1.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,151 ₩1.5M

45.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$858 ₩1.2M

25.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$6,043 ₩8.1M

-35.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$6,003 ₩8.0M

2.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$1,851 ₩2.5M

-55.03%

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 Gyeongju: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Gyeongju

$376 30.5% 1.6% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Gyeongju

$359 29.1% 39.5% $102

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Gyeongju

$142 11.5% 29.2% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Gyeongju

$143 11.6% 6.7% $9

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Gyeongju

$128 10.4% 15.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Gyeongju

$77 6.2% 15.5% $10

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Gyeongju

$10 * 0.8% 79.8% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $430 in Gyeongju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Gyeongju are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $48 in Gyeongju. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $359 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

15:47 3:47 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

258,156

💱 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 Gyeongju 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Gyeongju

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 Gyeongju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gyeongju is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,854 in Gyeongju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gyeongju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $430 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,236 in Gyeongju. That makes Playa del Carmen about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $639 in Gyeongju. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,236 in Gyeongju, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,236 in Gyeongju. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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