Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Phan Thiet

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Thiet: $658 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Phan Thiet
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Phan Thiet Living Index

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Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

Phan Thiet

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$658

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Phan Thiet

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexico City and in Phan Thiet actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $658 in Phan Thiet.

Mexico City $1,608
Phan Thiet $658

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $1,085 in Phan Thiet.

Mexico City $2,549
Phan Thiet $1,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $1,512 in Phan Thiet.

Mexico City $3,490
Phan Thiet $1,512

Living in Mexico City is roughly 144% more expensive than in Phan Thiet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, Phan Thiet is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$2.63 ₫68.0K

303.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$23.07 ₫596.4K

109.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$4.60 ₫118.8K

125.00%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.7

$0.61 ₫15.7K

504.92%

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

$1.67 MX$31.05

$0.40 ₫10.3K

317.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.58

$0.21 ₫5,419

504.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$0.61 ₫15.7K

422.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$1.22 ₫31.6K

335.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.34 ₫34.6K

28.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.6

$0.37 ₫9,630

721.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$0.96 ₫24.8K

102.08%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.13 ₫29.2K

155.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$204

$12.32 ₫318.4K

-10.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

$3.14 ₫81.2K

194.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

$8.35 ₫215.9K

81.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

$1.95 ₫50.4K

56.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.17

$0.80 ₫20.7K

142.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.73

$1.08 ₫27.9K

87.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.12

$1.24 ₫32.1K

86.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.91

$0.81 ₫21.0K

151.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.53

$0.72 ₫18.7K

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.56

$0.60 ₫15.4K

146.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.62

$0.55 ₫14.2K

130.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.8

$1.57 ₫40.7K

237.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

$9.75 ₫252.1K

65.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.95

$0.41 ₫10.5K

382.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.2

$1.53 ₫39.6K

177.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.68

$0.29 ₫7,368

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

$6.35 ₫164.3K

210.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.23

$0.59 ₫15.3K

211.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

$0.60 ₫15.4K

-11.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

$2.17 ₫56.2K

144.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.14

$0.92 ₫23.7K

64.13%

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

$21.8K MX$405.3K

$31.1K ₫803.4M

-30.00%

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

$24.0K MX$446.9K

$28.2K ₫728.1M

-14.83%

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

$63.0 MX$1,173

$43.05 ₫1.1M

46.30%

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

$27.39 MX$510

$6.41 ₫165.8K

327.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$664

$9.43 ₫243.8K

278.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,098

$20.55 ₫531.2K

186.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

$7.78 ₫201.1K

203.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

$1.88 ₫48.6K

240.43%

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

$432 MX$8,041

$213 ₫5.5M

102.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.8K

$3,840 ₫99.3M

197.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,271

$22.83 ₫590.1K

198.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

$23.47 ₫606.6K

126.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,008

$38.53 ₫996.2K

179.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,185

$59.1 ₫1.5M

98.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.7K

$479 ₫12.4M

132.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

$284 ₫7.3M

150.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

$810 ₫20.9M

219.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

$629 ₫16.3M

123.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.6K

$2,217 ₫57.3M

63.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

$1,316 ₫34.0M

62.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

8.28

37.08%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phan Thiet: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

Phan Thiet

$284 43.1% 60.1% $427

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

Phan Thiet

$166 25.2% 48.2% $154

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

Phan Thiet

$50 7.6% 74.8% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

Phan Thiet

$65 9.8% 58.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

Phan Thiet

$59 9% 53.3% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

Phan Thiet

$24 3.7% 66.1% $47

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

Phan Thiet

$11 1.7% 56.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Mexico City and $479 in Phan Thiet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $23 in Phan Thiet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $166 per month, with Phan Thiet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇻🇳 Phan Thiet

🕒 Local time

22:02 10:02 PM

11:02 11:02 AM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

255,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,779 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico City Phan Thiet 15,510 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Phan Thiet

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

Mexico City vs Phan Thiet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,608 in Mexico City and $658 in Phan Thiet, so Phan Thiet is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City and $987 in Phan Thiet 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: $1,113 in Mexico City versus $479 in Phan Thiet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phan Thiet runs roughly 68% less than in Mexico City. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $432 in Mexico City versus $213 in Phan Thiet. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $658 in Phan Thiet versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Phan Thiet but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Phan Thiet 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 Phan Thiet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.