Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phan Thiet and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Phan Thiet: $658 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Phan Thiet
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Phan Thiet Living Index
58

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

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Phan Thiet

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$658

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $658 per month in Phan Thiet vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Phan Thiet $658
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,085 per month in Phan Thiet vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Phan Thiet $1,085
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,512 per month in Phan Thiet vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Phan Thiet $1,512
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Phan Thiet is about 45% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Phan Thiet and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Phan Thiet 52% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.63 ₫68.0K

$10.92 MX$203

-75.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.07 ₫596.4K

$43.37 MX$808

-46.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 ₫118.8K

$11.78 MX$219

-60.95%

Cappuccino

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$3.81 MX$71.0

-83.99%

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

$0.40 ₫10.3K

$1.28 MX$23.89

-68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ₫5,419

$0.78 MX$14.58

-73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$3.17 MX$59.0

-80.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₫31.6K

$4.93 MX$91.9

-75.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 ₫34.6K

$1.41 MX$26.20

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ₫9,630

$2.22 MX$41.30

-83.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ₫24.8K

$1.42 MX$26.40

-32.39%

Eggs

$1.13 ₫29.2K

$2.52 MX$47.00

-55.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 ₫318.4K

$7.26 MX$135

69.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ₫81.2K

$7.70 MX$143

-59.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 ₫215.9K

$12.69 MX$236

-34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ₫50.4K

$2.78 MX$51.9

-29.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$1.37 MX$25.49

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₫27.9K

$2.55 MX$47.52

-57.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 ₫32.1K

$2.12 MX$39.55

-41.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₫21.0K

$1.94 MX$36.11

-58.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₫18.7K

$1.89 MX$35.13

-61.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$1.15 MX$21.36

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₫14.2K

$1.18 MX$21.96

-53.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 ₫40.7K

$4.30 MX$80.0

-63.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.75 ₫252.1K

$9.95 MX$185

-2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ₫10.5K

$1.58 MX$29.50

-74.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₫39.6K

$2.67 MX$49.76

-42.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ₫7,368

$0.55 MX$10.31

-47.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.35 ₫164.3K

$26.62 MX$496

-76.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 ₫15.3K

$4.97 MX$92.6

-88.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₫15.4K

$3.33 MX$62.1

-81.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₫56.2K

$5.36 MX$99.8

-59.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ₫23.7K

$1.44 MX$26.90

-36.11%

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

$31.1K ₫803.4M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

50.38%

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

$28.2K ₫728.1M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

20.02%

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

$43.05 ₫1.1M

$84.8 MX$1,580

-49.23%

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

$6.41 ₫165.8K

$23.41 MX$436

-72.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.43 ₫243.8K

$28.66 MX$534

-67.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.55 ₫531.2K

$57.1 MX$1,063

-63.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 ₫201.1K

$28.91 MX$539

-73.09%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 ₫48.6K

$5.14 MX$95.7

-63.42%

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

$213 ₫5.5M

$207 MX$3,848

2.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,840 ₫99.3M

$3,927 MX$73.2K

-2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.83 ₫590.1K

$43.35 MX$808

-47.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.47 ₫606.6K

$41.44 MX$772

-43.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.53 ₫996.2K

$74.2 MX$1,382

-48.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 ₫1.5M

$89.3 MX$1,663

-33.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 ₫12.4M

$980 MX$18.2K

-51.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 ₫7.3M

$381 MX$7,095

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 ₫20.9M

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-52.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₫16.3M

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-41.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,217 ₫57.3M

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-43.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,316 ₫34.0M

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-78.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

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 Phan Thiet: 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

Phan Thiet

$284 43.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 34.3% $97

Groceries & Markets

Phan Thiet

$166 25.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 53.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Phan Thiet

$65 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 72.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phan Thiet

$59 9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 132% $78

Eating Out

Phan Thiet

$50 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 305% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Phan Thiet

$24 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 177% $43

Getting Around

Phan Thiet

$11 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 356% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $479 in Phan Thiet versus $980 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 in Phan Thiet versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $166 vs $255 – making Phan Thiet the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Phan Thiet

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:52 9:52 AM

21:52 9:52 PM

12 h behind Phan Thiet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

255,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 25,852 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,779 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phan Thiet Playa del Carmen 16,130 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phan Thiet
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $658 in Phan Thiet, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Phan Thiet comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $987 per month in Phan Thiet and $1,806 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 Phan Thiet, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $479 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $213 per month in Phan Thiet and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Phan Thiet, where all-in costs run around $658, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Phan Thiet it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $658 in Phan Thiet to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Phan Thiet is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.