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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,235 in Jeonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,947 in Jeonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,659 in Jeonju.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Jeonju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jeonju 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$6.47 ₩9,443

84.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$27.94 ₩40.8K

50.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$5.04 ₩7,349

106.75%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$3.71 ₩5,418

-5.39%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.12 ₩1,634

35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.69 ₩1,007

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$1.89 ₩2,753

60.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$3.01 ₩4,396

45.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$2.02 ₩2,955

-29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$2.16 ₩3,148

-15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$3.13 ₩4,572

-47.92%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$2.93 ₩4,274

-13.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$10.45 ₩15.2K

-17.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$8.26 ₩12.1K

2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$27.53 ₩40.2K

-60.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$8.40 ₩12.3K

-67.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$3.10 ₩4,524

-53.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$7.18 ₩10.5K

-73.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$5.30 ₩7,730

-59.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$5.08 ₩7,419

-64.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$2.89 ₩4,222

-23.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$2.12 ₩3,093

-49.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$1.20 ₩1,748

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$3.36 ₩4,908

23.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$16.99 ₩24.8K

-38.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$1.68 ₩2,447

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$3.46 ₩5,049

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$1.11 ₩1,616

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$3.57 ₩5,204

-10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.79 ₩1,154

216.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$16.50 ₩24.1K

-80.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$1.21 ₩1,764

4.13%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$27.8K ₩40.5M

6.88%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$24.6K ₩35.8M

-3.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$188 ₩274.9K

-56.46%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$51.4 ₩75.0K

-55.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$22.33 ₩32.6K

31.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$48.63 ₩71.0K

7.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$9.03 ₩13.2K

-45.40%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$491 ₩717.3K

-58.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$13.9K ₩20.3M

-62.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$28.85 ₩42.1K

24.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$48.35 ₩70.6K

-16.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$67.5 ₩98.4K

18.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$120 ₩174.4K

-25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$278 ₩405.6K

241.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$224 ₩326.2K

108.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$581 ₩847.5K

180.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$467 ₩681.4K

155.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$2,017 ₩2.9M

-67.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.22

170.62%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $278 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeonju pays 206% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Jeonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $430, 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 Jeonju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeonju is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 206% lower in Jeonju. 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $278 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $491 in Jeonju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jeonju – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,235 in Jeonju versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeonju but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Jeonju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeonju is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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

Expats usually find Jeonju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.