Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cam Ranh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cam Ranh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $749 in Cam Ranh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,165 in Cam Ranh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,582 in Cam Ranh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cam Ranh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cam Ranh 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$2.99 ₫78.7K

301.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$20.79 ₫546.7K

100.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$3.79 ₫99.8K

183.64%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.80 ₫47.3K

94.44%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.38 ₫10.1K

281.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.22 ₫5,779

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$0.61 ₫15.9K

383.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$1.18 ₫31.0K

282.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.31 ₫34.4K

9.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.48 ₫12.7K

283.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.56 ₫40.9K

0.64%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$1.33 ₫35.0K

88.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$18.75 ₫493.0K

-55.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$3.16 ₫83.1K

166.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$11.16 ₫293.5K

-4.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$1.84 ₫48.3K

41.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.75 ₫19.6K

92.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$0.47 ₫12.4K

317.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.98 ₫25.6K

113.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.62 ₫16.3K

198.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.66 ₫17.4K

228.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.59 ₫15.4K

74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.37 ₫9,650

189.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$1.56 ₫41.0K

162.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$11.45 ₫300.9K

-11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$0.54 ₫14.1K

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$1.40 ₫36.9K

80.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.32 ₫8,370

59.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$6.58 ₫173.0K

295.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$0.37 ₫9,651

772.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.56 ₫14.7K

330.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$2.85 ₫75.1K

13.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$0.87 ₫22.8K

51.72%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$20.8K ₫546.9M

42.77%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$41.0K ₫1.1B

-42.23%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$83.4 ₫2.2M

-1.70%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$5.93 ₫155.9K

287.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$9.16 ₫240.8K

228.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$21.81 ₫573.4K

138.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$7.60 ₫199.8K

143.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$2.89 ₫76.0K

72.32%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$291 ₫7.6M

-32.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$11.5K ₫301.9M

-53.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$34.42 ₫904.9K

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$30.33 ₫797.6K

32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$82.2 ₫2.2M

-4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$75.4 ₫2.0M

17.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$364 ₫9.6M

160.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$244 ₫6.4M

94.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$675 ₫17.7M

143.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$471 ₫12.4M

157.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$2,617 ₫68.8M

54.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,462 ₫38.4M

342.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.1

25.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Cam Ranh: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $364 in Cam Ranh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Cam Ranh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $194 per month, with Cam Ranh 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 Cam Ranh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cam Ranh wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cam Ranh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,123 in Cam Ranh 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $364 in Cam Ranh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $749 in Cam Ranh – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cam Ranh runs roughly 296% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $749 in Cam Ranh versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cam Ranh but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Cam Ranh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cam Ranh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $749 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cam Ranh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Cam Ranh 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 Cam Ranh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.