Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ninh Binh Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ninh Binh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $727 in Ninh Binh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,175 in Ninh Binh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,623 in Ninh Binh.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 75% more expensive than Ninh Binh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ninh Binh 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$1.91 ₫50.0K

521.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.03 ₫551.9K

103.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.46 ₫117.0K

138.79%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.78 ₫46.7K

93.82%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.48 ₫12.6K

212.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.30 ₫7,979

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.01 ₫26.4K

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.57 ₫41.1K

193.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.37 ₫35.9K

0.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.00 ₫26.3K

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.93 ₫24.5K

73.12%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.48 ₫38.9K

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.90 ₫312.5K

-30.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.60 ₫94.4K

132.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.82 ₫257.9K

8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.70 ₫70.8K

-2.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.07 ₫28.1K

39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.28 ₫33.7K

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.13 ₫29.7K

84.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.04 ₫27.2K

78.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.01 ₫26.5K

123.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.66 ₫17.3K

60.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 ₫13.7K

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.31 ₫34.5K

216.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.20 ₫294.1K

-7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.79 ₫20.7K

117.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.57 ₫41.3K

66.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.32 ₫8,364

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$6.40 ₫167.9K

320.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.67 ₫17.5K

367.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.62 ₫16.2K

304.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.83 ₫74.2K

11.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.84 ₫22.0K

51.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.1K ₫921.9M

-13.52%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$31.5K ₫826.5M

-25.15%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$74.0 ₫1.9M

12.10%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.72 ₫150.2K

297.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.49 ₫222.8K

247.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.35 ₫586.7K

128.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$7.88 ₫206.9K

132.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.02 ₫79.3K

63.25%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$265 ₫7.0M

-25.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$11.5K ₫300.9M

-53.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$41.15 ₫1.1M

-10.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.29 ₫611.3K

71.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$85.1 ₫2.2M

-5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$75.5 ₫2.0M

18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$353 ₫9.3M

170.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$250 ₫6.6M

90.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$731 ₫19.2M

125.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$528 ₫13.9M

132.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,121 ₫55.7M

84.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,232 ₫32.4M

424.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ninh Binh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $353 in Ninh Binh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Ninh Binh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $191 per month, with Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ninh Binh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,091 in Ninh Binh 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $353 in Ninh Binh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $265 in Ninh Binh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 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.

For families, Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.