Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tuy Hoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuy Hoa: $748 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Tuy Hoa
Learn more

Tuy Hoa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Tuy Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Tuy Hoa

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 Tuy Hoa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $748 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Tuy Hoa $748

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,213 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Tuy Hoa $1,213

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,678 in Tuy Hoa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Tuy Hoa $1,678

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Tuy Hoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tuy Hoa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Tuy Hoa 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$200

$2.68 ₫69.6K

309.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$819

$23.49 ₫609.2K

90.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$218

$4.63 ₫120.1K

157.45%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.5

$1.63 ₫42.1K

133.13%

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

$1.31 MX$23.95

$0.36 ₫9,407

263.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.63

$0.23 ₫5,984

273.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$58.6

$0.65 ₫16.8K

393.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$91.5

$1.20 ₫31.2K

317.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.62

$1.41 ₫36.5K

3.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.48

$0.44 ₫11.4K

429.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.34

$1.04 ₫26.8K

38.46%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.94

$1.37 ₫35.6K

79.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$11.81 ₫306.3K

-34.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$144

$3.06 ₫79.3K

157.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$234

$11.01 ₫285.6K

16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.3

$1.96 ₫50.9K

48.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$25.96

$0.83 ₫21.5K

71.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$46.84

$1.06 ₫27.5K

142.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.02

$1.19 ₫30.8K

79.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.55

$0.79 ₫20.4K

146.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.35

$0.66 ₫17.0K

193.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.01

$0.79 ₫20.4K

45.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.29

$0.38 ₫9,879

221.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$79.9

$1.55 ₫40.3K

182.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$180

$11.39 ₫295.4K

-13.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.07

$0.61 ₫15.8K

152.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.58

$1.85 ₫48.0K

47.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.58

$0.30 ₫7,659

73.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$501

$6.60 ₫171.0K

315.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$89.7

$0.56 ₫14.5K

776.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.3

$0.59 ₫15.4K

496.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$2.60 ₫67.4K

118.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.12

$0.87 ₫22.7K

77.01%

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

$21.2K MX$387.8K

$30.6K ₫792.8M

-30.52%

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

$24.5K MX$447.1K

$28.3K ₫735.0M

-13.60%

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

$83.6 MX$1,527

$75.2 ₫2.0M

11.12%

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

$24.03 MX$439

$6.65 ₫172.5K

261.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$536

$9.18 ₫238.1K

219.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,184

$22.53 ₫584.3K

187.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$538

$6.92 ₫179.5K

325.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$92.9

$1.94 ₫50.3K

162.37%

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

$208 MX$3,792

$208 ₫5.4M

0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.9K

$3,820 ₫99.1M

5.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$813

$41.52 ₫1.1M

7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$768

$24.19 ₫627.3K

73.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,379

$48.70 ₫1.3M

55.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,668

$80.3 ₫2.1M

13.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.0K

$377 ₫9.8M

161.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,033

$312 ₫8.1M

23.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.3K

$759 ₫19.7M

125.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.2K

$529 ₫13.7M

109.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.3K

$2,785 ₫72.2M

44.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.1K

$1,298 ₫33.6M

381.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.46

35.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tuy Hoa: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Tuy Hoa

$312 40.6% 19.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Tuy Hoa

$178 23.1% 31.7% $83

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Tuy Hoa

$63 8.2% 69.2% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Tuy Hoa

$91 11.9% 33.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Tuy Hoa

$88 11.4% 23.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Tuy Hoa

$26 3.4% 64.8% $49

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Tuy Hoa

$11 1.5% 78.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $377 in Tuy Hoa. 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Tuy Hoa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $178 – making Tuy Hoa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇳 Tuy Hoa

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

08:44 8:44 AM

12 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

202,030

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.48 USD

100 MXN = 4.89 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 18.26 MXN (100 MXN = 5.48 USD). 1 EUR = 20.46 MXN (100 MXN = 4.89 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 25,934 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,064 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tuy Hoa 15,860 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tuy Hoa

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 Tuy Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,122 in Tuy Hoa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tuy Hoa, 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $748 in Tuy Hoa. That's a gap of about 63%.

Public transport costs about 315% less in Tuy Hoa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tuy Hoa, where all-in costs run around $748, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Tuy Hoa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tuy Hoa – 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 Tuy Hoa. 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.