Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninh Binh and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninh Binh: $727 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Ninh Binh
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Ninh Binh Living Index
57

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

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Ninh Binh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$727

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $727 in Ninh Binh versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Ninh Binh $727
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Ninh Binh versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Ninh Binh $1,162
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,598 in Ninh Binh versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Ninh Binh $1,598
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Ninh Binh costs roughly 40% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ninh Binh 46% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ₫50.0K

$10.67 MX$199

-81.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.91 ₫538.6K

$43.80 MX$815

-52.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 ₫120.2K

$11.79 MX$219

-60.47%

Cappuccino

$1.71 ₫44.1K

$3.79 MX$70.5

-54.88%

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

$0.51 ₫13.0K

$1.30 MX$24.14

-60.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₫7,834

$0.83 MX$15.51

-63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₫25.1K

$3.15 MX$58.6

-69.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ₫38.6K

$4.93 MX$91.8

-69.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$1.41 MX$26.22

-2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$0.97 ₫24.9K

$2.20 MX$40.86

-55.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.8K

$1.47 MX$27.40

-31.97%

Eggs

$1.40 ₫36.0K

$2.50 MX$46.47

-44.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 ₫299.2K

$7.29 MX$136

59.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ₫94.9K

$7.95 MX$148

-53.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.71 ₫250.2K

$12.86 MX$239

-24.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₫69.5K

$2.90 MX$53.9

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$1.38 MX$25.74

-23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ₫33.6K

$2.49 MX$46.36

-47.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$2.03 MX$37.78

-46.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.3K

$2.02 MX$37.69

-49.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.2K

$1.90 MX$35.42

-44.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₫16.6K

$1.14 MX$21.30

-43.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.5K

$1.24 MX$23.06

-60.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.37 ₫35.3K

$4.27 MX$79.5

-67.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.29 ₫290.9K

$9.81 MX$183

15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₫19.3K

$1.59 MX$29.51

-52.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₫41.0K

$2.75 MX$51.1

-42.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₫8,905

$0.51 MX$9.58

-31.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.51 ₫167.8K

$27.39 MX$510

-76.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₫18.1K

$4.76 MX$88.6

-85.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₫16.9K

$3.25 MX$60.5

-79.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 ₫70.1K

$5.39 MX$100

-49.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 ₫21.6K

$1.53 MX$28.44

-45.10%

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

$34.7K ₫892.7M

$21.2K MX$394.8K

63.36%

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

$31.8K ₫818.2M

$23.3K MX$432.9K

36.53%

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

$74.4 ₫1.9M

$83.5 MX$1,554

-10.92%

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

$5.83 ₫150.1K

$23.19 MX$431

-74.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.89 ₫229.1K

$27.61 MX$514

-67.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.02 ₫567.1K

$56.4 MX$1,050

-60.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 ₫198.2K

$28.19 MX$525

-72.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.13 ₫80.7K

$5.00 MX$93.1

-37.40%

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

$264 ₫6.8M

$207 MX$3,854

27.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ₫295.7M

$5,231 MX$97.4K

119.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.22 ₫1.1M

$43.45 MX$809

-5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.57 ₫607.3K

$42.54 MX$792

-44.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ₫2.3M

$72.8 MX$1,354

20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 ₫2.0M

$88.4 MX$1,645

-14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 ₫9.1M

$995 MX$18.5K

-64.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 ₫6.3M

$382 MX$7,116

-35.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$723 ₫18.6M

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-56.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 ₫13.6M

$1,081 MX$20.1K

-51.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,092 ₫53.9M

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-46.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,220 ₫31.4M

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-80.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

11.45

-20.52%

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

Last update for Ninh Binh: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ninh Binh

$245 33.7%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 56% $137

Groceries & Markets

Ninh Binh

$189 26%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 36.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Ninh Binh

$103 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 8.3% $8.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ninh Binh

$89 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 50.7% $45

Eating Out

Ninh Binh

$61 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 227% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Ninh Binh

$28 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 135% $38

Getting Around

Ninh Binh

$12 1.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 325% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Ninh Binh and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21 in Ninh Binh vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $257 per month, with Ninh Binh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Ninh Binh

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

17:16 5:16 PM

12 h behind Ninh Binh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,406

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 29,000 VND (100,000 VND = 3.45 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ninh Binh Playa del Carmen 15,250 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Ninh Binh
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

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

Ninh Binh is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,091 in Ninh Binh and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen 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: $353 in Ninh Binh versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $264 in Ninh Binh versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Ninh Binh versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ninh Binh but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.