Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hai Phong and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Hai Phong: $688 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Hai Phong
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Hai Phong Living Index
60

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

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Hai Phong

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$688

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $688 in Hai Phong versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen.

Hai Phong $688
Playa del Carmen $1,215

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Hai Phong versus $2,144 in Playa del Carmen.

Hai Phong $1,162
Playa del Carmen $2,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,635 in Hai Phong versus $3,072 in Playa del Carmen.

Hai Phong $1,635
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Living in Hai Phong costs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hai Phong 49% lower, Playa del Carmen 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.57 ₫40.7K

$10.97 MX$200

-85.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.94 ₫491.3K

$44.85 MX$819

-57.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 ₫110.6K

$11.92 MX$218

-64.26%

Cappuccino

$1.82 ₫47.2K

$3.80 MX$69.5

-52.11%

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

$0.47 ₫12.3K

$1.31 MX$23.95

-64.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,732

$0.86 MX$15.63

-65.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$3.21 MX$58.6

-75.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 ₫41.1K

$5.01 MX$91.5

-68.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 ₫40.3K

$1.46 MX$26.62

6.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 ₫13.3K

$2.33 MX$42.48

-78.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 ₫21.2K

$1.44 MX$26.34

-43.06%

Eggs

$1.45 ₫37.6K

$2.46 MX$44.94

-41.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 ₫271.3K

$7.70 MX$141

35.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 ₫98.4K

$7.89 MX$144

-51.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.96 ₫258.2K

$12.80 MX$234

-22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ₫87.9K

$2.92 MX$53.3

16.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$1.42 MX$25.96

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.5K

$2.57 MX$46.84

-48.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ₫29.5K

$2.14 MX$39.02

-46.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ₫24.9K

$1.95 MX$35.55

-50.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ₫28.4K

$1.94 MX$35.35

-43.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.1K

$1.15 MX$21.01

-52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.4K

$1.22 MX$22.29

-54.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.16 ₫30.0K

$4.38 MX$79.9

-73.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 ₫321.8K

$9.85 MX$180

25.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₫19.2K

$1.54 MX$28.07

-51.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ₫43.2K

$2.72 MX$49.58

-38.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ₫10.0K

$0.52 MX$9.58

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.66 ₫146.7K

$27.42 MX$501

-79.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$4.91 MX$89.7

-83.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.7K

$3.52 MX$64.3

-83.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₫49.2K

$5.69 MX$104

-66.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₫23.1K

$1.54 MX$28.12

-42.21%

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

$30.6K ₫793.5M

$21.2K MX$387.8K

44.06%

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

$30.1K ₫779.8M

$24.5K MX$447.1K

22.79%

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

$44.54 ₫1.2M

$83.6 MX$1,527

-46.73%

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

$5.21 ₫135.0K

$24.03 MX$439

-78.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.69 ₫225.3K

$29.33 MX$536

-70.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.88 ₫593.4K

$64.9 MX$1,184

-64.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.79 ₫202.0K

$29.46 MX$538

-73.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.14 ₫107.4K

$5.09 MX$92.9

-18.66%

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

$154 ₫4.0M

$208 MX$3,792

-25.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,579 ₫118.8M

$4,045 MX$73.9K

13.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.45 ₫1.2M

$44.55 MX$813

2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.39 ₫554.6K

$42.06 MX$768

-49.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 ₫2.2M

$75.5 MX$1,379

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.0 ₫2.0M

$91.4 MX$1,668

-15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 ₫6.4M

$986 MX$18.0K

-75.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 ₫6.4M

$385 MX$7,033

-36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 ₫26.4M

$1,713 MX$31.3K

-40.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 ₫16.3M

$1,108 MX$20.2K

-43.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,324 ₫34.3M

$4,016 MX$73.3K

-67.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$977 ₫25.3M

$6,247 MX$114.1K

-84.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ₫13.0M

$758 MX$13.8K

-33.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-38.86%

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

Last update for Hai Phong: October 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hai Phong

$245 35.2%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 57.2% $140

Groceries & Markets

Hai Phong

$190 27.3%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 36.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Hai Phong

$103 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 11.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hai Phong

$58 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 134% $79

Eating Out

Hai Phong

$57 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 255% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Hai Phong

$31 4.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 141% $44

Getting Around

Hai Phong

$11 1.6%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 380% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $246 in Hai Phong and $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 51% 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: $19.00 in Hai Phong vs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $260 per month, with Hai Phong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hai Phong

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

22:41 10:41 PM

12 h behind Hai Phong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,105,000

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 = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hai Phong Playa del Carmen 15,170 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Hai Phong
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

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

Hai Phong and Playa del Carmen differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($688 vs $1,215 including rent). Hai Phong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% 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: $246 in Hai Phong versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $688 per month in Hai Phong versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hai Phong runs roughly 384% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $688 in Hai Phong versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hai Phong but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hai Phong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Hai Phong 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 Hai Phong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.