Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sangju and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,425 in Sangju, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Sangju
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Sangju Living Index
58

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

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Sangju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,425

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sangju 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 Sangju and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,425 per month in Sangju vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sangju $1,425
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,201 per month in Sangju vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sangju $2,201
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,978 per month in Sangju vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sangju $2,978
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Sangju costs about 18% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sangju sits 5% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 ₩8,131

$10.92 MX$204

-44.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.86 ₩46.8K

$43.37 MX$808

-19.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 ₩9,186

$11.78 MX$220

-41.94%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,907

$3.81 MX$71.0

-4.20%

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

$1.59 ₩2,140

$1.28 MX$23.90

24.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩841

$0.78 MX$14.59

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 ₩4,588

$3.17 MX$59.0

7.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 ₩5,893

$4.93 MX$92.0

-10.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ₩2,992

$1.41 MX$26.22

58.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,310

$2.22 MX$41.33

44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 ₩3,170

$1.42 MX$26.42

66.20%

Eggs

$3.26 ₩4,380

$2.52 MX$47.03

29.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 ₩21.3K

$7.26 MX$135

119.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 ₩10.7K

$7.70 MX$143

3.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ₩15.0K

$12.69 MX$237

-12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 ₩10.4K

$2.78 MX$51.9

179.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,396

$1.37 MX$25.50

138.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.55 ₩10.1K

$2.55 MX$47.55

196.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.20 ₩9,669

$2.12 MX$39.58

239.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,744

$1.94 MX$36.13

81.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 ₩3,296

$1.89 MX$35.16

29.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 ₩2,782

$1.15 MX$21.37

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,726

$1.18 MX$21.98

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,618

$4.30 MX$80.1

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.78 ₩25.2K

$9.95 MX$185

88.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 ₩3,075

$1.58 MX$29.52

44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 ₩4,635

$2.67 MX$49.79

29.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,491

$0.55 MX$10.31

101.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ₩4,984

$4.97 MX$92.6

-25.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩891

$3.33 MX$62.1

-80.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 ₩12.2K

$5.36 MX$99.8

69.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ₩1,814

$1.44 MX$26.92

-6.25%

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

$30.0K ₩40.3M

$20.7K MX$385.2K

45.10%

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

$35.2K ₩47.3M

$23.5K MX$437.4K

50.06%

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

$210 ₩281.4K

$84.8 MX$1,581

147.14%

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

$43.44 ₩58.3K

$23.41 MX$436

85.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 ₩27.9K

$28.66 MX$534

-27.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩72.0K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-6.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.02 ₩18.8K

$28.91 MX$539

-51.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.28 ₩15.1K

$5.14 MX$95.8

119.46%

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

$300 ₩403.0K

$207 MX$3,851

45.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ₩23.9M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

354.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 ₩89.0K

$43.35 MX$808

52.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 ₩86.6K

$41.44 MX$772

55.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 ₩99.2K

$74.2 MX$1,383

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 ₩134.4K

$89.3 MX$1,664

12.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 ₩648.8K

$980 MX$18.3K

-50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩484.7K

$381 MX$7,099

-5.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 ₩1.6M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-32.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 ₩991.7K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-31.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,248 ₩9.7M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

83.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,516 ₩7.4M

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-10.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,492 ₩2.0M

$735 MX$13.7K

103.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

11.45

-64.19%

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

Last update for Sangju: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sangju

$418 29.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 39% $163

Accommodation & Living

Sangju

$361 25.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 5.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sangju

$274 19.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50% $137

Eating Out

Sangju

$148 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 37.1% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Sangju

$137 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sangju

$76 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.6% $8.9

Getting Around

Sangju

$11 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 340% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Sangju versus $980 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 in Sangju are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Sangju versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $418 in Sangju vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Sangju

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

15:38 3:38 PM

14 h behind Sangju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,947

149,923

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sangju Playa del Carmen 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sangju
Playa del Carmen

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

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

Yes – Sangju is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,137 per month in Sangju 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 Sangju, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $483 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,425 in Sangju and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $300 per month in Sangju and $207 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,425 in Sangju. 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, Sangju makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.