Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pohang

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,365 in Pohang, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Pohang
Learn more

Pohang Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Pohang

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,365 in Pohang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Pohang $1,365

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,214 in Pohang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Pohang $2,214

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,063 in Pohang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Pohang $3,063

Playa del Carmen is about 12% cheaper than Pohang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.08 ₩8,111

79.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$22.35 ₩29.8K

94.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.45 ₩8,605

82.64%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$3.09 ₩4,115

23.30%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.47 ₩1,967

-12.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.50 ₩666

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.67 ₩4,897

-13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.82 ₩5,091

29.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$2.30 ₩3,061

-38.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$3.17 ₩4,230

-29.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.53 ₩2,041

-7.19%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.76 ₩3,675

-8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$11.07 ₩14.8K

-34.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$10.61 ₩14.2K

-27.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$24.68 ₩32.9K

-48.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.20 ₩2,940

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$3.60 ₩4,802

-61.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$7.98 ₩10.6K

-68.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$3.11 ₩4,142

-31.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$5.13 ₩6,834

-62.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$3.43 ₩4,572

-44.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.22 ₩2,961

-48.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.33 ₩1,775

-11.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$3.43 ₩4,574

25.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.90 ₩9,207

44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.52 ₩2,032

3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$3.44 ₩4,592

-22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$1.18 ₩1,579

-53.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$3.42 ₩4,560

45.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.63 ₩838

428.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$16.86 ₩22.5K

-68.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.30 ₩1,732

10.77%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$29.5K ₩39.3M

-29.90%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$29.4K ₩39.3M

-20.28%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$101 ₩134.9K

-16.20%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$37.06 ₩49.4K

-36.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$27.13 ₩36.2K

5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$29.93 ₩39.9K

90.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$14.02 ₩18.7K

106.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$11.14 ₩14.9K

-53.86%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$635 ₩847.0K

-67.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

-82.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$104 ₩139.2K

-58.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$66.8 ₩89.1K

-38.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$92.8 ₩123.8K

-20.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$113 ₩150.2K

-20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$484 ₩646.0K

102.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$440 ₩586.5K

-13.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,256 ₩1.7M

35.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,032 ₩1.4M

4.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$8,173 ₩10.9M

-51.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$5,538 ₩7.4M

11.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$2,203 ₩2.9M

-66.66%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pohang: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Pohang

$440 32.2% 15.5% $59

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Pohang

$388 28.4% 52.1% $133

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Pohang

$139 10.2% 31.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Pohang

$165 12.1% 20.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Pohang

$170 12.4% 51.8% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Pohang

$52 3.8% 22.5% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Pohang

$11 * 0.8% 77.6% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $484 in Pohang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Pohang are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $22 in Pohang. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $388 in Pohang – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Pohang

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

514,869

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,489 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.72 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Pohang 12,640 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Pohang

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 Pohang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pohang is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,047 in Pohang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pohang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $484 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,365 in Pohang. That makes Playa del Carmen about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $635 in Pohang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,365 in Pohang. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pohang makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.