Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bac Giang

For one person, living is cheaper in Bac Giang: $778 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Bac Giang
Learn more

Bac Giang Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Bac Giang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bac Giang

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bac Giang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $778 in Bac Giang.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Bac Giang $778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,232 in Bac Giang.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Bac Giang $1,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 in Bac Giang.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Bac Giang $1,687

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than in Bac Giang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Bac Giang 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$1.91 ₫49.4K

463.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$15.69 ₫406.1K

174.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.39 ₫113.6K

168.56%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.83 ₫47.3K

111.48%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.36 ₫9,376

280.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.28 ₫7,334

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$0.73 ₫19.0K

324.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$0.98 ₫25.3K

417.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.49 ₫38.5K

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.10 ₫28.4K

102.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.81 ₫21.0K

81.48%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.50 ₫38.7K

68.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$10.53 ₫272.7K

-30.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$3.79 ₫98.2K

107.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$9.66 ₫250.0K

32.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$3.44 ₫89.0K

-15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.08 ₫28.1K

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.36 ₫35.3K

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$1.10 ₫28.6K

87.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.99 ₫25.6K

102.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.14 ₫29.4K

76.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.57 ₫14.9K

108.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.54 ₫14.1K

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$1.43 ₫37.0K

207.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$12.55 ₫324.9K

-23.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$0.89 ₫23.0K

78.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.65 ₫42.7K

70.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.34 ₫8,909

67.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$6.36 ₫164.6K

337.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$0.76 ₫19.6K

555.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.60 ₫15.6K

483.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$2.24 ₫58.1K

141.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.95 ₫24.6K

54.74%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$30.3K ₫783.2M

-30.63%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$30.4K ₫786.0M

-21.25%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$84.4 ₫2.2M

-0.17%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$5.17 ₫133.8K

364.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$9.06 ₫234.4K

220.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$21.80 ₫564.4K

188.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$7.61 ₫197.0K

282.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$4.30 ₫111.2K

14.88%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$162 ₫4.2M

25.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$27.6K ₫715.0M

-85.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$47.67 ₫1.2M

-8.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$26.49 ₫685.9K

62.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$84.1 ₫2.2M

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$78.3 ₫2.0M

13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$146 ₫3.8M

590.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$276 ₫7.2M

35.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$761 ₫19.7M

124.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$612 ₫15.8M

80.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$2,878 ₫74.5M

37.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,279 ₫33.1M

382.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$206 ₫5.3M

266.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.28

38.29%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Bac Giang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Bac Giang

$276 35.5% 26.1% $98

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Bac Giang

$196 25.2% 24.1% $62

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Bac Giang

$59 7.5% 71% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Bac Giang

$99 12.7% 28.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Bac Giang

$106 13.7% 5.8% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Bac Giang

$30 3.9% 58.3% $42

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Bac Giang

$12 1.5% 78.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $146 in Bac Giang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 267% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Bac Giang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $196 per month, with Bac Giang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇳 Bac Giang

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

03:13 3:13 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

194,171

💱 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

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bac Giang 15,140 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bac Giang

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

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

Bac Giang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 267% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $146 in Bac Giang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $778 in Bac Giang versus $1,210 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.