Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Incheon

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,376 in Incheon, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Incheon
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Incheon Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Incheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,376 in Incheon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Incheon $1,376

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,124 in Incheon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Incheon $2,124

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,873 in Incheon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Incheon $2,873

Playa del Carmen is about 12% cheaper than Incheon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.17 ₩8,242

76.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$34.97 ₩46.7K

24.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.92 ₩9,236

70.23%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$3.66 ₩4,882

4.10%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.55 ₩2,065

-17.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$0.59 ₩793

32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.59 ₩4,786

-11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$4.42 ₩5,902

11.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.11 ₩2,816

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.05 ₩4,071

-27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.28 ₩3,049

-37.72%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$3.26 ₩4,359

-22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$15.83 ₩21.1K

-54.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$7.98 ₩10.6K

-3.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$11.35 ₩15.1K

11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$7.50 ₩10.0K

-62.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$3.33 ₩4,444

-58.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$5.94 ₩7,932

-57.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$6.30 ₩8,413

-66.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$3.48 ₩4,651

-44.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$2.39 ₩3,195

-20.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.11 ₩2,815

-45.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.12 ₩1,489

5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$3.42 ₩4,570

25.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$19.16 ₩25.6K

-48.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$2.24 ₩2,988

-29.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.23 ₩4,307

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.07 ₩1,431

-48.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$25.40 ₩33.9K

4.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$3.68 ₩4,908

35.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.60 ₩806

455.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$9.25 ₩12.4K

-42.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.36 ₩1,822

5.88%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$29.2K ₩39.0M

-29.20%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$28.3K ₩37.8M

-17.06%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$210 ₩280.9K

-59.70%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$35.72 ₩47.7K

-34.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$21.45 ₩28.6K

33.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$34.30 ₩45.8K

66.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$37.83 ₩50.5K

-23.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$11.31 ₩15.1K

-54.55%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$295 ₩394.1K

-30.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$17.8K ₩23.8M

-77.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$60.2 ₩80.4K

-28.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$34.27 ₩45.8K

20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$66.5 ₩88.8K

11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$83.6 ₩111.6K

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$604 ₩805.8K

62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$355 ₩473.6K

7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,263 ₩1.7M

35.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$708 ₩945.8K

51.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$6,882 ₩9.2M

-42.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$5,679 ₩7.6M

8.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$2,460 ₩3.3M

-70.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.08

180.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Incheon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Incheon

$355 25.8% 6.9% $26

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Incheon

$401 29.1% 57.4% $146

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Incheon

$149 10.9% 26.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Incheon

$268 19.5% 95.5% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Incheon

$110 8% 1.5% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Incheon

$57 4.1% 15.4% $10

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Incheon

$36 2.6% 27.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $604 in Incheon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Incheon are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $35 in Incheon. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $401 in Incheon – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Incheon

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

17:10 5:10 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,870,545

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,490 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Incheon 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Incheon

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 Incheon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Incheon is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,064 in Incheon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Incheon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $604 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $35 in Incheon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,376 in Incheon. That makes Playa del Carmen about 12% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,376 in Incheon. 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, Incheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.