Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hanoi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanoi: $801 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Hanoi
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Hanoi Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Hanoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$801

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $801 in Hanoi versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Hanoi $801
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,246 in Hanoi versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Hanoi $1,246
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,691 in Hanoi versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Hanoi $1,691
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Hanoi costs roughly 34% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hanoi 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.00 ₫51.6K

$10.92 MX$204

-81.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 ₫602.8K

$43.37 MX$810

-46.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.40 ₫113.8K

$11.78 MX$220

-62.65%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ₫50.0K

$3.81 MX$71.2

-49.34%

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

$0.48 ₫12.3K

$1.28 MX$23.96

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,615

$0.78 MX$14.63

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$3.17 MX$59.2

-66.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 ₫50.6K

$4.93 MX$92.2

-60.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.41 MX$26.28

7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$2.22 MX$41.43

-52.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.8K

$1.42 MX$26.48

-43.66%

Eggs

$1.46 ₫37.6K

$2.52 MX$47.14

-42.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 ₫296.6K

$7.26 MX$136

58.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 ₫91.8K

$7.70 MX$144

-53.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 ₫260.9K

$12.69 MX$237

-20.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 ₫80.2K

$2.78 MX$52.0

11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ₫26.0K

$1.37 MX$25.56

-26.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$2.55 MX$47.66

-47.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.2K

$2.12 MX$39.67

-50.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ₫23.6K

$1.94 MX$36.22

-53.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.6K

$1.89 MX$35.24

-39.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 ₫14.1K

$1.15 MX$21.42

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$1.18 MX$22.03

-53.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.30 MX$80.3

-68.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.82 ₫305.3K

$9.95 MX$186

18.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.58 MX$29.59

-44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ₫44.1K

$2.67 MX$49.91

-35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$0.55 MX$10.34

-25.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.68 ₫275.8K

$26.62 MX$497

-59.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 ₫20.6K

$4.97 MX$92.9

-83.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.4K

$3.33 MX$62.2

-83.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.4K

$5.36 MX$100

-55.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.44 MX$26.98

-36.81%

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

$31.1K ₫804.0M

$20.7K MX$386.2K

50.62%

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

$28.6K ₫738.6M

$23.5K MX$438.5K

21.86%

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

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$84.8 MX$1,584

-1.54%

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

$5.22 ₫134.9K

$23.41 MX$437

-77.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.78 ₫226.8K

$28.66 MX$535

-69.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.23 ₫703.3K

$57.1 MX$1,066

-52.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.64 ₫249.1K

$28.91 MX$540

-66.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 ₫119.0K

$5.14 MX$96.0

-10.31%

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

$867 ₫22.4M

$207 MX$3,860

319.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫715.1M

$3,927 MX$73.4K

604.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.55 ₫1.2M

$43.35 MX$810

7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.64 ₫688.1K

$41.44 MX$774

-35.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$74.2 MX$1,386

12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ₫2.0M

$89.3 MX$1,668

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₫11.1M

$980 MX$18.3K

-56.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 ₫7.4M

$381 MX$7,116

-24.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 ₫22.6M

$1,708 MX$31.9K

-48.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₫14.2M

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-48.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,936 ₫127.5M

$3,943 MX$73.7K

25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,835 ₫73.2M

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-53.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ₫13.2M

$735 MX$13.7K

-30.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

11.45

-27.69%

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

Last update for Hanoi: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hanoi

$287 35.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 32.8% $94

Groceries & Markets

Hanoi

$195 24.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 30.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Hanoi

$105 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 6.6% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hanoi

$97 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 40.4% $39

Eating Out

Hanoi

$65 8.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 212% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Hanoi

$36 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 84.7% $31

Getting Around

Hanoi

$16 2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 218% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Hanoi and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 43% 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: $23 in Hanoi vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $255 per month, with Hanoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Hanoi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

06:06 6:06 AM

12 h behind Hanoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,587,100 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Hanoi
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

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

Hanoi and Playa del Carmen differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($801 vs $1,204 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Hanoi. 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: $429 in Hanoi versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $867 in Hanoi versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $801 in Hanoi versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hanoi 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.

Expats usually find Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.