Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kaesong

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Kaesong
🇰🇵 North Korea
-
/mo nomad
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$200
-
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$819
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$218
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.5
-
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$23.95
-
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.63
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$58.6
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$91.5
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.62
-
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.48
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.34
-
-
Eggs
$2.46 MX$44.94
-
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$144
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$234
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.3
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$25.96
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$46.84
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.02
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.55
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.35
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.01
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.29
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$79.9
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$180
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.07
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.58
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.58
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$501
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$89.7
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.3
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.12
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$387.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$447.1K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,527
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$439
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$536
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,184
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$538
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$92.9
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,792
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$73.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$813
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$768
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,379
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,668
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.0K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,033
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.3K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.2K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.1K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kaesong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.8K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kaesong: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Kaesong
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Kaesong
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Kaesong
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Kaesong
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Kaesong
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Kaesong
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Kaesong
–
Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇰🇵 Kaesong
🕒 Local time
02:53 2:53 AM
16:53 4:53 PM
14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
308,000
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Kaesong 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Kaesong

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 Kaesong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where should families live: Playa del Carmen or Kaesong?
Families tend to lean toward Kaesong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Kaesong?
If budget matters most, go with Kaesong. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?