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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,244 in Jeonju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,913 in Jeonju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,582 in Jeonju.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 1% more expensive than Jeonju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Jeonju 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$6.55 ₩9,690

78.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$27.84 ₩41.2K

50.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$5.23 ₩7,735

98.85%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.72 ₩5,502

-2.96%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.07 ₩1,588

37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.67 ₩992

35.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.94 ₩2,868

56.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$3.02 ₩4,463

48.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$2.00 ₩2,957

-31.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.23 ₩3,294

-17.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$3.07 ₩4,538

-47.56%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.95 ₩4,365

-12.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$10.52 ₩15.5K

-19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.35 ₩12.3K

1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$27.69 ₩40.9K

-60.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$8.49 ₩12.5K

-67.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$3.27 ₩4,836

-54.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$7.28 ₩10.8K

-73.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$5.31 ₩7,846

-60.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$5.00 ₩7,399

-62.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.97 ₩4,386

-26.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$2.10 ₩3,111

-49.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.16 ₩1,713

-9.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$3.24 ₩4,796

29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$16.56 ₩24.5K

-37.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.75 ₩2,587

-4.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$3.30 ₩4,884

-24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.10 ₩1,628

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$3.46 ₩5,121

-10.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.84 ₩1,245

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$16.82 ₩24.9K

-80.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.20 ₩1,776

5.00%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$27.7K ₩40.9M

9.07%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$25.3K ₩37.4M

-7.36%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$190 ₩280.3K

-55.71%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$50.1 ₩74.1K

-55.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$21.84 ₩32.3K

35.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$47.36 ₩70.0K

11.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$8.66 ₩12.8K

-42.84%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$486 ₩718.3K

-59.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$14.1K ₩20.9M

-62.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$29.53 ₩43.7K

21.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$47.99 ₩71.0K

-16.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$66.2 ₩97.8K

19.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$118 ₩173.7K

-26.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$282 ₩417.6K

245.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$223 ₩330.0K

110.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$561 ₩828.7K

184.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$463 ₩684.2K

162.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Jeonju: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $282 in Jeonju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $28 in Jeonju. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $432, 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $1,866 in Jeonju to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 in Jeonju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 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 $1,244 in Jeonju versus $1,261 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 1% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.