Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Vung Tau

For one person, living is cheaper in Vung Tau: $608 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Vung Tau
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Vung Tau Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Vung Tau

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico City and in Vung Tau

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 Vung Tau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,567 in Mexico City versus $608 in Vung Tau.

Mexico City $1,567
Vung Tau $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,450 in Mexico City versus $1,015 in Vung Tau.

Mexico City $2,450
Vung Tau $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Mexico City versus $1,423 in Vung Tau.

Mexico City $3,333
Vung Tau $1,423

Living in Mexico City is roughly 158% more expensive than in Vung Tau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 16% above, Vung Tau is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.75 MX$199

$1.95 ₫50.5K

451.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 MX$929

$15.66 ₫405.5K

220.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 MX$205

$3.75 ₫97.0K

196.00%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.1

$1.84 ₫47.6K

100.00%

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

$1.65 MX$30.42

$0.41 ₫10.6K

302.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.08

$0.33 ₫8,662

293.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MX$61.3

$0.78 ₫20.2K

325.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 MX$102

$1.01 ₫26.3K

448.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 MX$32.68

$1.40 ₫36.3K

26.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$1.11 ₫28.7K

174.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.20

$0.89 ₫23.1K

125.84%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.1

$1.65 ₫42.8K

67.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 MX$220

$4.79 ₫124.0K

148.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 MX$172

$3.60 ₫93.1K

159.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MX$278

$9.44 ₫244.4K

59.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 MX$56.8

$3.06 ₫79.3K

0.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.97

$1.24 ₫32.1K

57.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.54

$0.63 ₫16.3K

222.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 MX$40.92

$1.29 ₫33.5K

71.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.41

$1.15 ₫29.8K

75.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$33.67

$1.19 ₫30.8K

52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.60 ₫15.7K

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$23.65

$0.43 ₫11.0K

197.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.27 MX$97.4

$1.20 ₫31.1K

339.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 MX$298

$12.74 ₫329.7K

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$36.05

$0.81 ₫21.1K

140.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$78.6

$1.01 ₫26.2K

320.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.85 MX$367

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.93

$0.70 ₫18.1K

185.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.86

$0.59 ₫15.3K

-10.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 MX$104

$1.15 ₫29.7K

388.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 MX$28.07

$0.80 ₫20.7K

90.00%

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

$21.0K MX$388.7K

$30.2K ₫782.2M

-30.39%

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

$25.2K MX$465.3K

$31.4K ₫811.9M

-19.71%

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

$62.5 MX$1,155

$46.69 ₫1.2M

33.84%

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

$28.77 MX$532

$5.90 ₫152.7K

387.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.45 MX$637

$7.99 ₫206.9K

331.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,055

$17.04 ₫441.1K

235.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

$9.41 ₫243.6K

163.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.67 MX$123

$3.54 ₫91.6K

88.42%

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

$431 MX$7,964

$117 ₫3.0M

269.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K MX$216.9K

$9,586 ₫248.2M

22.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 MX$1,308

$21.13 ₫547.1K

235.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 MX$958

$18.89 ₫489.1K

174.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 MX$2,011

$92.2 ₫2.4M

18.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MX$2,076

$67.9 ₫1.8M

65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 MX$19.4K

$304 ₫7.9M

245.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 MX$12.3K

$199 ₫5.2M

234.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,346 MX$43.3K

$752 ₫19.5M

211.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 MX$22.7K

$504 ₫13.0M

143.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,554 MX$65.7K

$7,301 ₫189.0M

-51.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 MX$36.5K

$4,367 ₫113.1M

-54.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

$572 ₫14.8M

70.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

8.64

30.79%

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

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Last update for Vung Tau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$665 42.4%

Vung Tau

$199 32.7% 70.1% $466

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$323 20.6%

Vung Tau

$173 28.4% 46.5% $150

Eating Out

Mexico City

$203 13%

Vung Tau

$58 9.5% 71.5% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$155 9.9%

Vung Tau

$90 14.8% 41.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 8%

Vung Tau

$61 10% 51.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$70 4.5%

Vung Tau

$24 4% 65.8% $46

Getting Around

Mexico City

$26 1.6%

Vung Tau

$3.7 * 0.6% 85.8% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,051 in Mexico City and $304 in Vung Tau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 71% 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: $50.0 in Mexico City vs $16.00 in Vung Tau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $173 per month, with Vung Tau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇻🇳 Vung Tau

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

19:52 7:52 PM

13 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

380,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Vung Tau 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
Vung Tau

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 Vung Tau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Vung Tau differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($1,567 vs $608 including rent). Vung Tau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 71% higher in Mexico City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,051 in Mexico City versus $304 in Vung Tau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Mexico City versus $117 in Vung Tau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vung Tau – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $50.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $608 in Vung Tau versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vung Tau but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Vung Tau 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, Mexico City and Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.