Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Suwon

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,372 in Suwon, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most 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 Suwon
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Suwon Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Suwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,372 in Suwon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Suwon $1,372

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,163 in Suwon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Suwon $2,163

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,954 in Suwon, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Suwon $2,954

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$6.06 ₩8,102

80.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$29.93 ₩40.0K

44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.65 ₩10.2K

53.99%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$3.41 ₩4,563

11.73%

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

$1.28 MX$24.04

$1.57 ₩2,096

-18.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.68

$0.59 ₩789

32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.4

$3.83 ₩5,126

-17.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$4.77 ₩6,377

3.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.37

$2.60 ₩3,485

-45.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.57

$2.60 ₩3,475

-14.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.57

$3.36 ₩4,501

-57.74%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.30

$3.17 ₩4,241

-20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$11.15 ₩14.9K

-34.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$11.64 ₩15.6K

-33.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$11.39 ₩15.2K

11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$6.22 ₩8,322

-55.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.65

$2.93 ₩3,917

-53.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.83

$5.30 ₩7,087

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.81

$4.40 ₩5,893

-51.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.34

$3.47 ₩4,637

-44.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.36

$2.74 ₩3,662

-31.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.50

$4.94 ₩6,606

-76.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.11

$1.36 ₩1,818

-13.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$3.73 ₩4,990

15.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$13.45 ₩18.0K

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.69

$2.53 ₩3,387

-37.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.86 ₩5,159

-30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$1.24 ₩1,655

-55.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$48.67 ₩65.1K

-45.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.2

$2.88 ₩3,854

72.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.63 ₩840

428.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$8.98 ₩12.0K

-40.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.07

$1.32 ₩1,767

9.09%

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

$20.7K MX$387.5K

$28.7K ₩38.4M

-28.01%

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

$23.5K MX$440.0K

$25.2K ₩33.7M

-6.96%

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

$84.8 MX$1,590

$186 ₩248.4K

-54.34%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$18.20 ₩24.4K

28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$17.99 ₩24.1K

59.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,070

$43.73 ₩58.5K

30.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

$11.82 ₩15.8K

144.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.4

$11.19 ₩15.0K

-54.07%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$691 ₩924.8K

-70.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$18.3K ₩24.4M

-78.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$813

$37.03 ₩49.5K

17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$109 ₩146.2K

-62.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,391

$76.5 ₩102.3K

-2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,673

$60.0 ₩80.3K

48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$438 ₩586.2K

123.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,140

$352 ₩470.9K

8.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$1,185 ₩1.6M

44.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$819 ₩1.1M

31.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

$12.6K ₩16.8M

-68.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.5K

$7,074 ₩9.5M

-12.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$2,638 ₩3.5M

-72.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.5

76.15%

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 Suwon: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Suwon

$352 25.7% 7.6% $29

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Suwon

$395 28.8% 55.1% $140

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Suwon

$150 10.9% 26% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Suwon

$222 16.2% 62.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Suwon

$127 9.3% 13.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Suwon

$66 4.8% 1.8% $1.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Suwon

$60 4.4% 18.2% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 in Suwon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Suwon are about 3.6 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 $30 in Suwon. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $395 in Suwon – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Suwon

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

23:11 11:11 PM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,203,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.48 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.75 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.92 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,338 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 1,493 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Suwon 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Suwon

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 Suwon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Suwon is pricier by about 14%, 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 $2,057 in Suwon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Suwon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $438 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,372 in Suwon. That makes Playa del Carmen about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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 $1,372 in Suwon. 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, Suwon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.