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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,137 in Jeonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,784 in Jeonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,431 in Jeonju.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Jeonju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Jeonju 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$6.72 ₩9,005

77.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$21.98 ₩29.5K

115.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.22 ₩6,998

125.10%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.74 ₩5,013

10.16%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.10 ₩1,472

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.57 ₩765

59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.90 ₩3,886

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.14 ₩5,548

70.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.15 ₩2,878

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$2.27 ₩3,048

-5.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$3.13 ₩4,192

-43.45%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.20 ₩2,949

28.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$10.92 ₩14.6K

-15.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$10.45 ₩14.0K

-11.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$24.38 ₩32.7K

-48.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$11.07 ₩14.8K

-73.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.72 ₩4,987

-57.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$8.19 ₩11.0K

-72.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$4.40 ₩5,907

-46.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$5.93 ₩7,958

-66.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.20 ₩2,946

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.85 ₩3,816

-56.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.76 ₩1,017

59.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.71 ₩4,970

23.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$18.66 ₩25.0K

-43.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.51 ₩2,027

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.49 ₩4,680

-20.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.15 ₩1,540

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.23 ₩4,338

62.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.72 ₩961

406.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$16.50 ₩22.1K

-64.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.32 ₩1,777

16.67%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$29.6K ₩39.6M

-22.84%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$34.1K ₩45.8M

-24.40%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$69.7 ₩93.5K

30.05%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$29.67 ₩39.8K

-15.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$22.15 ₩29.7K

43.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$60.6 ₩81.2K

13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$8.81 ₩11.8K

-44.84%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$621 ₩832.6K

-63.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$22.0K ₩29.5M

-80.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$29.95 ₩40.2K

58.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$64.3 ₩86.2K

-32.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$56.8 ₩76.1K

41.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$37.71 ₩50.6K

142.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$289 ₩387.3K

275.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$245 ₩327.9K

67.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$585 ₩783.9K

237.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$446 ₩598.2K

187.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$2,234 ₩3.0M

-65.38%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $289 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeonju pays 189% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Jeonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $451, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 189% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $289 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $621 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 $22.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,137 in Jeonju versus $1,305 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 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.