Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Phan Rang Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Phan Rang

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $664 in Phan Rang, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,049 in Phan Rang, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,433 in Phan Rang, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 94% more than Phan Rang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Phan Rang are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Phan Rang 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$1.13 ₫29.6K

956.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$22.90 ₫600.8K

86.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.64 ₫121.7K

128.23%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.70 ₫44.5K

112.94%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.51 ₫13.5K

188.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.26 ₫6,778

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.01 ₫26.4K

205.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.56 ₫40.9K

185.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.24 ₫32.4K

15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.02 ₫26.9K

84.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.96 ₫25.1K

69.79%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.26 ₫33.0K

109.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$5.79 ₫152.0K

41.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.66 ₫96.1K

126.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.64 ₫147.9K

96.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.75 ₫72.2K

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.11 ₫29.0K

35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.29 ₫33.9K

54.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.16 ₫30.5K

79.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.17 ₫30.6K

52.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.18 ₫30.9K

84.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.76 ₫20.0K

42.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.39 ₫10.3K

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.21 ₫31.9K

228.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.80 ₫335.7K

-20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.55 ₫14.5K

214.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$0.98 ₫25.8K

155.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.34 ₫8,970

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$6.59 ₫173.0K

309.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.71 ₫18.5K

342.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.69 ₫18.1K

247.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.11 ₫81.6K

-0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.81 ₫21.3K

56.79%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$37.9K ₫994.6M

-18.54%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$34.0K ₫890.8M

-31.33%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$38.84 ₫1.0M

111.15%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$6.01 ₫157.8K

273.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$8.64 ₫226.6K

243.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$21.70 ₫569.2K

139.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$7.83 ₫205.5K

138.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.14 ₫108.7K

20.05%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$230 ₫6.0M

-13.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$13.8K ₫361.0M

-61.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$41.64 ₫1.1M

-12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.10 ₫711.0K

47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$97.6 ₫2.6M

-18.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$87.1 ₫2.3M

2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$359 ₫9.4M

168.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$246 ₫6.5M

88.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$681 ₫17.9M

134.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$465 ₫12.2M

160.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$3,254 ₫85.4M

21.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,392 ₫36.5M

363.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.14

24.95%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phan Rang: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $359 in Phan Rang. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Phan Rang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $159 – making Phan Rang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Phan Rang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 94%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $996 in Phan Rang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phan Rang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Phan Rang. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phan Rang, where all-in costs run around $664, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Phan Rang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phan Rang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phan Rang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.