Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $414 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
59

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

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$414

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pyongyang and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $414 per month in Pyongyang vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pyongyang $414
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $672 per month in Pyongyang vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pyongyang $672
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $930 per month in Pyongyang vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Pyongyang $930
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Pyongyang is about 66% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pyongyang and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Pyongyang 69% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 $4.81

$10.86 MX$201

-55.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.65 $35.65

$44.21 MX$817

-19.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.06 $21.06

$11.76 MX$217

79.08%

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$3.68 MX$68.0

-70.38%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$1.34 MX$24.79

67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.82 MX$15.24

51.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.23 $13.23

$3.06 MX$56.6

332.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.94 MX$91.2

-2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.47 MX$27.17

-34.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.22 MX$40.95

3.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.48 MX$27.32

-39.86%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$2.49 MX$45.99

-20.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

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

$23.46 MX$434

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.8 $74.8

$62.2 MX$1,149

20.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$88.8 $88.8

$979 MX$18.1K

-90.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.4 $90.4

$373 MX$6,887

-75.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 $133

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-87.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 $244

$738 MX$13.6K

-66.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$205 49.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 2.1% $4.3

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 313% $282

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$75 * 18.1%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 3.2% $2.4

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$44 * 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 485% $214

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $88.8 in Pyongyang versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 203% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $36.00 in Pyongyang versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $44.00 vs $258 – making Pyongyang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

14 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

USD USD

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pyongyang Playa del Carmen 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyongyang vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 191%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $621 per month in Pyongyang and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 485% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Pyongyang and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pyongyang, where all-in costs run around $414, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Pyongyang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pyongyang – 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 Pyongyang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.