Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ulsan

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,339 in Ulsan, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Ulsan despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ulsan
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Ulsan Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Ulsan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,339 in Ulsan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Ulsan $1,339

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,185 in Ulsan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Ulsan $2,185

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,030 in Ulsan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Ulsan $3,030

Playa del Carmen is about 10% cheaper than Ulsan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ulsan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Ulsan 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$7.62 ₩10.1K

41.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$44.63 ₩59.3K

-3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$5.93 ₩7,882

98.82%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.32 ₩4,410

16.57%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.88 ₩1,175

55.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.47 ₩619

78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$3.01 ₩4,006

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$4.38 ₩5,826

15.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$2.36 ₩3,139

-38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$3.25 ₩4,315

-31.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$3.16 ₩4,207

-53.48%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$2.73 ₩3,634

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$10.88 ₩14.5K

-32.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$10.63 ₩14.1K

-26.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$24.54 ₩32.6K

-47.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$11.39 ₩15.1K

-74.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$3.74 ₩4,975

-61.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$8.09 ₩10.8K

-68.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$6.05 ₩8,048

-65.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$6.01 ₩7,992

-66.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$3.26 ₩4,328

-38.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.89 ₩3,844

-58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$1.28 ₩1,707

-1.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$3.12 ₩4,154

41.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$18.52 ₩24.6K

-48.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.45 ₩3,264

-35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$3.44 ₩4,577

-18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$1.14 ₩1,511

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.89 ₩3,849

72.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.78 ₩1,040

348.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$16.96 ₩22.6K

-68.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.43 ₩1,899

2.80%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$30.0K ₩39.9M

-30.08%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$34.1K ₩45.4M

-29.96%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$197 ₩261.8K

-57.23%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$37.06 ₩49.3K

-35.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$27.21 ₩36.2K

6.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$60.4 ₩80.3K

4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$10.30 ₩13.7K

-52.04%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$263 ₩349.3K

-22.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$22.0K ₩29.3M

-82.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$51.5 ₩68.5K

-15.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$45.56 ₩60.6K

-5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$61.0 ₩81.2K

24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$75.0 ₩99.7K

18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$373 ₩495.3K

170.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$244 ₩324.7K

53.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$761 ₩1.0M

124.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$648 ₩861.8K

70.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$4,483 ₩6.0M

-12.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$2,479 ₩3.3M

148.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$2,331 ₩3.1M

-67.65%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Ulsan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Ulsan

$244 18.2% 34.7% $130

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Ulsan

$489 36.5% 89.1% $230

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Ulsan

$148 11% 26.9% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Ulsan

$261 19.5% 90.3% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Ulsan

$105 7.8% 7.2% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Ulsan

$81 6.1% 11.2% $8.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Ulsan

$11 * 0.9% 78.4% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $373 in Ulsan. 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 209% higher in Ulsan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Ulsan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $489 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇷 Ulsan

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

06:26 6:26 AM

14 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,129,827

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ulsan 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ulsan

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 Ulsan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ulsan is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,009 in Ulsan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,339 in Ulsan. That's a gap of about 11%.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $263 in Ulsan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Ulsan at $1,339. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ulsan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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