Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tay Ninh

For one person, living is cheaper in Tay Ninh: $440 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
21

Cost of Living Index in Tay Ninh
Learn more

Tay Ninh Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Tay Ninh

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$440

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tay Ninh

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 Tay Ninh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $440 in Tay Ninh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Tay Ninh $440

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $715 in Tay Ninh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Tay Ninh $715

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $990 in Tay Ninh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Tay Ninh $990

Playa del Carmen costs about 174% more than Tay Ninh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tay Ninh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Tay Ninh 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$1.28 ₫33.0K

748.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$11.49 ₫297.4K

284.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$4.07 ₫105.3K

188.94%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$0.93 ₫24.0K

295.70%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.55 ₫14.3K

143.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.34 ₫8,892

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$0.90 ₫23.2K

240.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.09 ₫28.1K

353.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.28 ₫33.1K

14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.70 ₫18.2K

217.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$0.67 ₫17.5K

120.90%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.28 ₫33.2K

94.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$12.25 ₫317.1K

-38.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$1.96 ₫50.8K

306.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$7.16 ₫185.3K

75.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.79 ₫46.3K

55.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$0.76 ₫19.6K

88.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$0.82 ₫21.2K

219.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.16 ₫29.9K

84.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.23 ₫31.8K

64.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$1.16 ₫30.0K

71.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.56 ₫14.4K

103.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.51 ₫13.1K

135.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$1.20 ₫31.1K

255.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$6.68 ₫172.9K

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$0.83 ₫21.4K

85.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$0.99 ₫25.6K

168.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.33 ₫8,670

60.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$6.50 ₫168.4K

323.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.17 ₫4,418

2782.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.63 ₫16.3K

444.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$3.01 ₫78.0K

78.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.74 ₫19.1K

95.95%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$30.3K ₫784.2M

-30.15%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$28.8K ₫746.4M

-20.16%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$29.87 ₫773.3K

185.77%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$5.84 ₫151.3K

301.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$6.95 ₫179.8K

309.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$24.84 ₫643.2K

150.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$7.53 ₫194.9K

280.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$3.46 ₫89.6K

47.40%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$109 ₫2.8M

83.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$5,317 ₫137.7M

-25.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$14.52 ₫375.8K

205.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$11.54 ₫298.7K

258.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$76.2 ₫2.0M

-4.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$53.9 ₫1.4M

66.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$157 ₫4.1M

523.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$88.2 ₫2.3M

322.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$350 ₫9.0M

380.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$199 ₫5.2M

450.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,243 ₫58.1M

76.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$1,232 ₫31.9M

398.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$224 ₫5.8M

228.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.64

32.52%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Tay Ninh: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Tay Ninh

$88 20.1% 76.3% $285

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Tay Ninh

$152 34.5% 41.2% $106

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Tay Ninh

$44 10% 78.1% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Tay Ninh

$43 9.7% 68.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Tay Ninh

$70 16% 37.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Tay Ninh

$32 7.2% 56.1% $41

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Tay Ninh

$11 2.5% 78.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $157 in Tay Ninh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 229% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $11.00 in Tay Ninh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $152 – making Tay Ninh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇳 Tay Ninh

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

18:40 6:40 PM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

135,254

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tay Ninh 16,180 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tay Ninh

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 Tay Ninh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $660 in Tay Ninh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $440 in Tay Ninh. That's a gap of about 174%.

Public transport costs about 323% less in Tay Ninh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tay Ninh, where all-in costs run around $440, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Tay Ninh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tay Ninh – 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 Tay Ninh. 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.