Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bien Hoa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Bien Hoa: $673 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bien Hoa
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Bien Hoa Living Index
59

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

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Bien Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$673

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $673 in Bien Hoa versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Bien Hoa $673
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $924 in Bien Hoa versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Bien Hoa $924
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,175 in Bien Hoa versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Bien Hoa $1,175
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Bien Hoa costs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bien Hoa 50% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.89 ₫48.8K

$10.86 MX$201

-82.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.80 ₫305.5K

$44.21 MX$817

-73.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 ₫123.3K

$11.76 MX$217

-59.52%

Cappuccino

$1.13 ₫29.3K

$3.68 MX$68.0

-69.29%

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

$0.46 ₫11.8K

$1.34 MX$24.79

-65.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₫5,960

$0.82 MX$15.24

-71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$3.06 MX$56.6

-81.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₫20.5K

$4.94 MX$91.2

-84.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₫32.9K

$1.47 MX$27.17

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 ₫20.5K

$2.22 MX$40.95

-64.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.48 MX$27.32

-40.54%

Eggs

$1.38 ₫35.7K

$2.49 MX$45.99

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 ₫315.0K

$7.52 MX$139

61.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.95 ₫50.6K

$7.96 MX$147

-75.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 ₫252.6K

$12.57 MX$232

-22.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 ₫56.5K

$2.78 MX$51.3

-21.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.5K

$1.43 MX$26.37

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.4K

$2.62 MX$48.37

-56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$2.14 MX$39.49

-56.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.3K

$2.02 MX$37.38

-42.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ₫30.8K

$1.99 MX$36.74

-40.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₫11.3K

$1.14 MX$21.01

-62.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₫12.8K

$1.20 MX$22.18

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.26 ₫32.7K

$4.26 MX$78.7

-70.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 ₫194.0K

$10.02 MX$185

-25.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 ₫10.3K

$1.54 MX$28.41

-74.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₫19.6K

$2.66 MX$49.17

-71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₫8,132

$0.53 MX$9.73

-41.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.54 ₫169.4K

$27.51 MX$508

-76.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 ₫12.4K

$4.90 MX$90.6

-90.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$3.43 MX$63.5

-83.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ₫30.5K

$5.38 MX$99.4

-78.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₫21.9K

$1.45 MX$26.76

-41.38%

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

$31.1K ₫805.7M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

47.10%

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

$29.5K ₫763.1M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

28.05%

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

$50.6 ₫1.3M

$85.4 MX$1,577

-40.76%

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

$4.35 ₫112.5K

$23.46 MX$434

-81.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.53 ₫169.0K

$28.43 MX$525

-77.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.82 ₫280.2K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-82.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.91 ₫204.7K

$28.68 MX$530

-72.42%

Cinema Ticket

$3.35 ₫86.8K

$5.10 MX$94.3

-34.31%

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

$67.8 ₫1.8M

$201 MX$3,715

-66.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ₫375.6M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

267.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.21 ₫393.7K

$44.39 MX$820

-65.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.37 ₫397.8K

$41.35 MX$764

-62.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 ₫1.7M

$72.7 MX$1,344

-8.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 ₫2.5M

$89.6 MX$1,656

7.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ₫10.7M

$979 MX$18.1K

-57.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₫7.3M

$373 MX$6,887

-24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$421 ₫10.9M

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-74.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 ₫7.9M

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-72.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,228 ₫57.7M

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-43.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,235 ₫32.0M

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-79.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 ₫7.9M

$738 MX$13.6K

-58.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.8

11.45

-31.88%

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

Last update for Bien Hoa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bien Hoa

$281 41.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 32.9% $92

Groceries & Markets

Bien Hoa

$165 24.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 56.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Bien Hoa

$87 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 28.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bien Hoa

$61 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 123% $76

Eating Out

Bien Hoa

$50 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 300% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Bien Hoa

$18 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 313% $55

Getting Around

Bien Hoa

$11 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 367% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Bien Hoa and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Bien Hoa vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $258 per month, with Bien Hoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Bien Hoa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

07:33 7:33 AM

12 h behind Bien Hoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,272,235

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bien Hoa Playa del Carmen 16,190 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Bien Hoa
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

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

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $415 in Bien Hoa versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $673 in Bien Hoa versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bien Hoa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bien Hoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bien Hoa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bien Hoa and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.