Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nam Dinh and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Nam Dinh: $783 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Nam Dinh
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Nam Dinh Living Index
59

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

Jump to prices

Nam Dinh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$783

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $783 per month in Nam Dinh vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Nam Dinh $783
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,265 per month in Nam Dinh vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Nam Dinh $1,265
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,747 per month in Nam Dinh vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Nam Dinh $1,747
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Nam Dinh is about 35% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nam Dinh and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Nam Dinh 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₫55.3K

$10.76 MX$199

-80.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.61 ₫585.4K

$43.03 MX$795

-47.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.31 ₫111.6K

$11.79 MX$218

-63.44%

Cappuccino

$1.89 ₫49.1K

$3.87 MX$71.4

-51.16%

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

$0.51 ₫13.1K

$1.37 MX$25.29

-62.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,668

$0.84 MX$15.44

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ₫27.5K

$3.10 MX$57.3

-65.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₫48.8K

$5.07 MX$93.6

-62.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ₫37.9K

$1.44 MX$26.55

2.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₫27.6K

$2.23 MX$41.23

-52.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₫19.2K

$1.47 MX$27.17

-49.66%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.8K

$2.53 MX$46.71

-40.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ₫264.4K

$7.30 MX$135

39.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ₫98.4K

$7.86 MX$145

-51.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ₫258.1K

$12.79 MX$236

-22.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ₫87.8K

$2.90 MX$53.6

16.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.44 MX$26.53

-27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ₫34.2K

$2.55 MX$47.07

-48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.7K

$2.06 MX$38.03

-44.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 ₫23.8K

$2.00 MX$36.97

-54.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ₫28.1K

$2.01 MX$37.07

-45.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$1.19 MX$22.02

-53.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.4K

$1.26 MX$23.23

-58.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.39 ₫35.9K

$4.40 MX$81.4

-68.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.51 ₫324.0K

$9.59 MX$177

30.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.59 MX$29.41

-44.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₫45.1K

$2.81 MX$51.9

-38.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,215

$0.57 MX$10.47

-43.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.71 ₫173.7K

$27.82 MX$514

-75.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₫19.0K

$4.98 MX$92.1

-85.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$3.50 MX$64.6

-82.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$5.40 MX$99.8

-56.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 ₫22.8K

$1.47 MX$27.08

-40.14%

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

$31.0K ₫802.2M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

47.65%

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

$29.7K ₫769.8M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

24.38%

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

$85.6 ₫2.2M

$84.2 MX$1,556

1.70%

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

$5.31 ₫137.5K

$23.99 MX$443

-77.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.66 ₫224.3K

$29.02 MX$536

-70.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.24 ₫575.8K

$63.0 MX$1,164

-64.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.64 ₫197.8K

$29.14 MX$539

-73.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 ₫112.3K

$4.94 MX$91.3

-12.15%

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

$161 ₫4.2M

$204 MX$3,763

-20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K ₫718.2M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

603.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.87 ₫1.3M

$43.60 MX$806

12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.46 ₫684.9K

$43.12 MX$797

-38.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 ₫2.2M

$75.8 MX$1,400

10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.5 ₫2.1M

$88.6 MX$1,637

-10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 ₫10.7M

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₫7.1M

$374 MX$6,911

-26.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ₫19.6M

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₫16.2M

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-43.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,789 ₫72.2M

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-29.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,323 ₫34.2M

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-78.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

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 Nam Dinh: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nam Dinh

$274 35%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 36.6% $100

Groceries & Markets

Nam Dinh

$194 24.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 33% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Nam Dinh

$107 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 5.4% $5.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nam Dinh

$100 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 37.7% $38

Eating Out

Nam Dinh

$65 8.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 211% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Nam Dinh

$31 4%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 136% $42

Getting Around

Nam Dinh

$12 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 349% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Nam Dinh versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Nam Dinh versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $258 – making Nam Dinh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Nam Dinh

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:24 3:24 AM

15:24 3:24 PM

12 h behind Nam Dinh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,229

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 = 5.41 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nam Dinh Playa del Carmen 15,230 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nam Dinh
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,174 per month in Nam Dinh and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nam Dinh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $783 in Nam Dinh and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 55%.

Public transport costs about 315% less in Nam Dinh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Nam Dinh, where all-in costs run around $783, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Nam Dinh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nam Dinh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nam Dinh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.