Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jeju

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeju: $1,118 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,118 in Jeju, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Jeju $1,118

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,917 in Jeju, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Jeju $1,917

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,715 in Jeju, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Jeju $2,715

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Jeju, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Jeju are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Jeju 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$7.33 ₩9,784

48.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$51.9 ₩69.2K

-16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.61 ₩7,495

109.98%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$5.87 ₩7,834

-35.09%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$2.19 ₩2,924

-41.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$2.06 ₩2,753

-62.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.93 ₩5,245

-19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.07 ₩4,102

60.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.26 ₩3,017

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$2.31 ₩3,079

-3.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.31 ₩3,085

-38.53%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.62 ₩3,498

-3.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$2.20 ₩2,940

-37.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$2.97 ₩3,960

-34.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.87 ₩2,496

1.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.28 ₩3,038

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.47 ₩624

151.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$11.48 ₩15.3K

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.85 ₩2,465

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.72 ₩2,295

55.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.99 ₩1,321

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.37 ₩1,835

5.11%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$214 ₩285.7K

-60.38%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$54.0 ₩72.0K

-56.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$19.65 ₩26.2K

45.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$25.3K ₩33.8M

-84.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$52.7 ₩70.3K

-17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$29.78 ₩39.8K

39.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$66.6 ₩88.9K

11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$90.8 ₩121.2K

-1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$461 ₩615.2K

112.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$388 ₩518.2K

-1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,372 ₩1.8M

24.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,192 ₩1.6M

-9.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$10.8K ₩14.4M

-63.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$6,659 ₩8.9M

-7.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,883 ₩2.5M

-61.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Jeju: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Jeju

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Jeju

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Jeju

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Jeju

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Jeju

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Jeju

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Jeju

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 in Jeju. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jeju are about 2.6 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $52 in Jeju. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $142 in Jeju – so Jeju wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Jeju

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

04:20 4:20 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

469,279

💱 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jeju 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jeju

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 Jeju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,677 in Jeju. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jeju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $461 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $52 in Jeju. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,118 in Jeju, 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 $1,118 in Jeju to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.