Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cam Pha and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Cam Pha: $770 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Cam Pha
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Cam Pha Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cam Pha

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$770

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $770 in Cam Pha versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Cam Pha $770
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,235 in Cam Pha versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Cam Pha $1,235
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,700 in Cam Pha versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Cam Pha $1,700
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Cam Pha costs roughly 36% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cam Pha 43% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ₫51.9K

$10.67 MX$199

-81.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.13 ₫595.9K

$43.80 MX$815

-47.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.24 ₫109.3K

$11.79 MX$219

-64.04%

Cappuccino

$1.85 ₫47.6K

$3.79 MX$70.5

-51.19%

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

$0.51 ₫13.2K

$1.30 MX$24.14

-60.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫7,929

$0.83 MX$15.51

-62.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₫29.4K

$3.15 MX$58.6

-63.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.4K

$4.93 MX$91.8

-60.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ₫39.1K

$1.41 MX$26.22

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 ₫25.6K

$2.20 MX$40.86

-55.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.77 ₫19.8K

$1.47 MX$27.40

-47.62%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.7K

$2.50 MX$46.47

-41.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 ₫316.0K

$7.29 MX$136

68.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₫92.0K

$7.95 MX$148

-55.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 ₫243.4K

$12.86 MX$239

-26.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 ₫79.4K

$2.90 MX$53.9

6.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ₫25.3K

$1.38 MX$25.74

-28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 ₫34.7K

$2.49 MX$46.36

-45.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 ₫28.9K

$2.03 MX$37.78

-44.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ₫22.9K

$2.02 MX$37.69

-55.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$1.90 MX$35.42

-39.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$1.14 MX$21.30

-51.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ₫13.8K

$1.24 MX$23.06

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.27 MX$79.5

-67.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 ₫275.1K

$9.81 MX$183

8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

$1.59 MX$29.51

-42.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₫41.1K

$2.75 MX$51.1

-41.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,354

$0.51 MX$9.58

-37.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.91 ₫203.8K

$27.39 MX$510

-71.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 ₫25.0K

$4.76 MX$88.6

-79.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$3.25 MX$60.5

-82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 ₫59.2K

$5.39 MX$100

-57.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 ₫25.0K

$1.53 MX$28.44

-36.60%

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

$30.4K ₫783.0M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

43.28%

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

$29.7K ₫765.7M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

27.77%

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

$84.7 ₫2.2M

$83.5 MX$1,554

1.46%

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

$5.13 ₫132.1K

$23.19 MX$431

-77.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 ₫230.0K

$27.61 MX$514

-67.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.72 ₫533.7K

$56.4 MX$1,050

-63.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.21 ₫211.4K

$28.19 MX$525

-70.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 ₫122.8K

$5.00 MX$93.1

-4.60%

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

$338 ₫8.7M

$207 MX$3,854

63.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K ₫736.6M

$5,231 MX$97.4K

446.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.08 ₫1.2M

$43.45 MX$809

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 ₫738.3K

$42.54 MX$792

-32.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$72.8 MX$1,354

14.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 ₫1.9M

$88.4 MX$1,645

-17.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ₫12.4M

$995 MX$18.5K

-51.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₫6.9M

$382 MX$7,116

-29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₫15.2M

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-64.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 ₫15.1M

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-45.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,343 ₫60.4M

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-40.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,344 ₫34.6M

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-78.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.17

11.45

-28.65%

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

Last update for Cam Pha: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cam Pha

$269 34.9%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 42.3% $114

Groceries & Markets

Cam Pha

$192 24.9%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 34% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Cam Pha

$104 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 7.4% $7.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cam Pha

$99 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 36% $36

Eating Out

Cam Pha

$64 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 213% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Cam Pha

$30 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 120% $36

Getting Around

Cam Pha

$13 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 288% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Cam Pha and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cam Pha vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $257 per month, with Cam Pha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Cam Pha

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

09:29 9:29 AM

12 h behind Cam Pha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,137

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cam Pha Playa del Carmen 15,130 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Cam Pha
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

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

Cam Pha wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cam Pha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,156 in Cam Pha and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $481 in Cam Pha versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Pha runs roughly 71% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $338 in Cam Pha versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cam Pha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.