Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
Learn more

Seoul Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,848 in Seoul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Seoul $1,848

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,986 in Seoul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Seoul $2,986

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,125 in Seoul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Seoul $4,125

Playa del Carmen is about 35% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Seoul is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$9.05 ₩12.1K

20.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$68.3 ₩91.8K

-36.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.35 ₩9,868

60.27%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.12 ₩5,530

-7.52%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.64 ₩2,207

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.81 ₩1,083

-3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$3.71 ₩4,980

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$6.13 ₩8,236

-19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.04 ₩2,742

-30.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$3.21 ₩4,311

-30.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$4.39 ₩5,892

-67.65%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.59 ₩4,822

-29.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$18.23 ₩24.5K

-60.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-26.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$26.89 ₩36.1K

-52.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$7.86 ₩10.5K

-64.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$3.53 ₩4,739

-61.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$5.70 ₩7,660

-55.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$6.18 ₩8,296

-65.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$3.76 ₩5,053

-48.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.51 ₩3,373

-24.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.82 ₩3,780

-59.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.11 ₩1,490

6.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$3.30 ₩4,432

30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$18.64 ₩25.0K

-46.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.42 ₩3,248

-34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.36 ₩4,509

-20.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.19 ₩1,600

-53.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$46.13 ₩61.9K

-42.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$3.55 ₩4,770

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.60 ₩810

455.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$9.08 ₩12.2K

-40.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.44 ₩1,931

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-31.72%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$28.9K ₩38.8M

-18.79%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$213 ₩285.4K

-60.10%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$35.83 ₩48.1K

-34.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$21.39 ₩28.7K

33.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$61.6 ₩82.8K

-7.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$16.41 ₩22.0K

76.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$11.42 ₩15.3K

-54.99%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-89.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$22.8K ₩30.6M

-82.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$59.8 ₩80.3K

-27.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$34.19 ₩45.9K

21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$66.0 ₩88.6K

12.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$81.9 ₩110.0K

8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$924 ₩1.2M

6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$659 ₩885.1K

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-43.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,440 ₩1.9M

-25.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$27.2K ₩36.5M

-85.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$11.3K ₩15.2M

-45.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-79.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.08

180.64%

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 Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 73.1% $278

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 89.8% $229

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Seoul

$184 10% 8.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 97.1% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 2.6% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 25.5% $17

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 13.9% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $924 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seoul are about 4.9 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 $68 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $483 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

00:49 12:49 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,494 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Seoul 12,630 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seoul is pricier by about 53%, 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 $2,771 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $924 in Seoul. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,848 in Seoul. That’s a gap of about 53%.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Seoul at $1,848. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 $1,848 in Seoul. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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