Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Seogwipo

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,435 in Seogwipo, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Seogwipo
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Seogwipo Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Seogwipo

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,435

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,435 in Seogwipo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Seogwipo $1,435

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,282 in Seogwipo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Seogwipo $2,282

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,129 in Seogwipo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Seogwipo $3,129

Playa del Carmen is about 16% cheaper than Seogwipo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Seogwipo is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$7.30 ₩9,899

46.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$37.72 ₩51.2K

16.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$6.69 ₩9,076

76.23%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$3.67 ₩4,979

3.27%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$1.54 ₩2,091

-15.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$0.74 ₩997

12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$3.49 ₩4,738

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

$4.28 ₩5,803

15.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.18 ₩2,952

-35.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$3.02 ₩4,100

-27.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$2.67 ₩3,627

-44.94%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$2.32 ₩3,152

7.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$10.23 ₩13.9K

-28.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$9.65 ₩13.1K

-17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$22.92 ₩31.1K

-43.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$7.58 ₩10.3K

-61.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$3.23 ₩4,385

-57.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$5.71 ₩7,753

-56.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$5.76 ₩7,809

-64.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$3.80 ₩5,156

-46.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$2.42 ₩3,285

-21.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$2.96 ₩4,022

-61.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$1.20 ₩1,622

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$2.93 ₩3,976

45.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$13.48 ₩18.3K

-27.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$2.39 ₩3,239

-33.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$3.67 ₩4,983

-25.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$1.24 ₩1,686

-58.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$3.95 ₩5,365

20.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$0.57 ₩775

470.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$8.93 ₩12.1K

-39.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$1.37 ₩1,865

11.68%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

$29.6K ₩40.2M

-28.32%

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

$30.2K ₩41.0M

-23.02%

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$185 ₩250.8K

-54.84%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$38.67 ₩52.5K

-40.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$18.90 ₩25.6K

46.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$47.13 ₩63.9K

19.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

$12.06 ₩16.4K

133.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$11.65 ₩15.8K

-57.08%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$456 ₩618.8K

-54.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

$21.5K ₩29.2M

-75.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$53.1 ₩72.0K

-18.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

$65.1 ₩88.3K

-34.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$84.8 ₩115.0K

-14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$91.5 ₩124.2K

-3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$524 ₩711.5K

89.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$402 ₩546.0K

-4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$1,397 ₩1.9M

19.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$899 ₩1.2M

20.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$7,846 ₩10.6M

-50.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

$5,101 ₩6.9M

20.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$1,134 ₩1.5M

-26.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.1

179.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Seogwipo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Seogwipo

$402 28.1% 5.2% $20

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Seogwipo

$417 29.1% 62.1% $160

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Seogwipo

$158 11% 21.3% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Seogwipo

$242 16.9% 80.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Seogwipo

$133 9.2% 19.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Seogwipo

$70 4.9% 6% $4

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Seogwipo

$12 * 0.8% 76.7% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $524 in Seogwipo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 36% higher in Seogwipo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $38 in Seogwipo. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $417 in Seogwipo – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Seogwipo

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

155,641

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.56 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,357 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.37 USD). 1 EUR = 1,524 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.56 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Seogwipo 13,040 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Seogwipo

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 Seogwipo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seogwipo is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,152 in Seogwipo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seogwipo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $524 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,435 in Seogwipo. That makes Playa del Carmen about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Seogwipo. 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 $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,435 in Seogwipo. 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, Seogwipo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.