Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bac Giang Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bac Giang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Bac Giang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,095 in Bac Giang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,480 in Bac Giang.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 82% more expensive than Bac Giang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Bac Giang 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.89 ₫49.6K

520.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$15.63 ₫410.8K

166.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.68 ₫122.9K

127.35%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.30 ₫34.1K

170.77%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.37 ₫9,774

308.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.22 ₫5,790

340.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$0.53 ₫13.9K

456.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$0.91 ₫23.8K

389.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.38 ₫36.3K

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.94 ₫24.6K

101.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.90 ₫23.7K

82.22%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.50 ₫39.4K

67.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.32 ₫244.9K

-10.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.77 ₫99.0K

121.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.35 ₫245.7K

14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$3.33 ₫87.4K

-21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.06 ₫27.8K

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.60 ₫42.0K

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.08 ₫28.3K

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.07 ₫28.1K

66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.06 ₫27.8K

106.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.56 ₫14.6K

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.53 ₫14.0K

103.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$1.36 ₫35.8K

200.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$13.37 ₫351.3K

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$0.57 ₫14.9K

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.83 ₫48.0K

40.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.35 ₫9,087

45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$6.45 ₫169.4K

310.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.32 ₫8,412

918.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.62 ₫16.3K

301.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.65 ₫43.3K

96.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.90 ₫23.7K

45.56%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$38.1K ₫1.0B

-20.46%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$31.8K ₫834.4M

-26.22%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$56.8 ₫1.5M

45.92%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$5.18 ₫136.0K

328.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$8.66 ₫227.6K

238.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$21.32 ₫560.2K

142.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$7.72 ₫202.9K

137.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.93 ₫103.3K

29.01%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$261 ₫6.9M

-23.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$11.5K ₫302.5M

-54.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$44.14 ₫1.2M

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$23.10 ₫606.8K

72.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$90.4 ₫2.4M

-13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$72.9 ₫1.9M

19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$219 ₫5.8M

343.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$252 ₫6.6M

85.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$675 ₫17.7M

143.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$458 ₫12.0M

166.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$3,857 ₫101.3M

2.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,524 ₫40.0M

326.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$212 ₫5.6M

212.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

26.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bac Giang: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $219 in Bac Giang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 212% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Bac Giang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $190 per month, with Bac Giang cheaper across the board.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Bac Giang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bac Giang is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 212% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $219 in Bac Giang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bac Giang – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Bac Giang versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bac Giang but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bac Giang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bac Giang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bac Giang 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 Bac Giang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.