Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $706 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
Learn more

Ongjin Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $706 in Ongjin.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Ongjin $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,107 in Ongjin.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Ongjin $1,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,508 in Ongjin.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Ongjin $1,508

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 70% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Ongjin 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$2.76 $2.76

293.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$22.46 $22.46

96.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$7.71 $7.71

52.53%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$1.11 $1.11

231.53%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.96 $0.96

39.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.02 $1.02

-19.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$6.62 $6.62

-53.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$2.28 $2.28

116.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.85 $0.85

72.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$1.53 $1.53

45.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$2.20 $2.20

-32.73%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$3.23 $3.23

-22.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$4.36 $4.36

72.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$2.21 $2.21

260.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$5.69 $5.69

120.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$6.88 $6.88

-59.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$4.33 $4.33

-66.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.20 $2.20

19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.25 $2.25

-4.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.36 $3.36

-39.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$3.40 $3.40

-41.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.28 $2.28

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.47 $0.47

155.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$4.59 $4.59

-7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$7.79 $7.79

28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.09 $1.09

41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.19 $2.19

21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$1.02 $1.02

-48.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$38.97 $38.97

-29.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.54 $1.54

218.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$2.18 $2.18

57.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$40.60 $40.60

-86.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.72 $0.72

101.39%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$22.1K $22.1K

-4.41%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$27.9K $27.9K

-17.55%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$33.28 $33.28

156.49%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$11.20 $11.20

109.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$43.76 $43.76

-35.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$42.37 $42.37

46.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$14.31 $14.31

100.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$7.89 $7.89

-35.36%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$107 $107

88.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$2,138 $2,138

84.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$22.36 $22.36

98.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$27.60 $27.60

49.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$61.8 $61.8

17.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$84.4 $84.4

6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$87.9 $87.9

1014.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$88.1 $88.1

322.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,260 $2,260

-25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$136 $136

704.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,708 $1,708

131.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,382 $1,382

344.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$208 $208

254.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.11

61.04%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Ongjin

$88 12.5% 76.4% $285

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Ongjin

$224 31.7% 13.3% $34

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Ongjin

$104 14.7% 48% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Ongjin

$88 12.5% 35.7% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Ongjin

$88 12.5% 20.9% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Ongjin

$58 8.2% 19.7% $14

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Ongjin

$55 7.9% 7.4% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $87.9 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 254% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $224 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

152,878

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ongjin 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 254% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $87.9 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongjin – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $706 in Ongjin versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ongjin 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 Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.