Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tay Ninh and Playa del Carmen

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.

Tay Ninh
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$440
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tay Ninh and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

  • Tay Ninh $440
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

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

  • Tay Ninh $715
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

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

  • Tay Ninh $990
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Tay Ninh is about 63% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.28 ₫33.0K
$10.86 MX$201
-88.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$11.49 ₫297.4K
$44.21 MX$817
-74.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.07 ₫105.3K
$11.76 MX$217
-65.39%
Cappuccino
$0.93 ₫24.0K
$3.68 MX$68.0
-74.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 ₫14.3K
$1.34 MX$24.79
-58.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₫8,892
$0.82 MX$15.24
-58.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.90 ₫23.2K
$3.06 MX$56.6
-70.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 ₫28.1K
$4.94 MX$91.2
-77.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 ₫33.1K
$1.47 MX$27.17
-12.93%
White Bread (500g)
$0.70 ₫18.2K
$2.22 MX$40.95
-68.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.67 ₫17.5K
$1.48 MX$27.32
-54.73%
Eggs
$1.28 ₫33.2K
$2.49 MX$45.99
-48.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.25 ₫317.1K
$7.52 MX$139
62.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$1.96 ₫50.8K
$7.96 MX$147
-75.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.16 ₫185.3K
$12.57 MX$232
-43.04%
Apples (1kg)
$1.79 ₫46.3K
$2.78 MX$51.3
-35.61%
Banana (1kg)
$0.76 ₫19.6K
$1.43 MX$26.37
-46.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.82 ₫21.2K
$2.62 MX$48.37
-68.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.16 ₫29.9K
$2.14 MX$39.49
-45.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.23 ₫31.8K
$2.02 MX$37.38
-39.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.16 ₫30.0K
$1.99 MX$36.74
-41.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 ₫14.4K
$1.14 MX$21.01
-50.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₫13.1K
$1.20 MX$22.18
-57.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.20 ₫31.1K
$4.26 MX$78.7
-71.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.68 ₫172.9K
$10.02 MX$185
-33.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ₫21.4K
$1.54 MX$28.41
-46.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ₫25.6K
$2.66 MX$49.17
-62.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.33 ₫8,670
$0.53 MX$9.73
-37.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.50 ₫168.4K
$27.51 MX$508
-76.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.17 ₫4,418
$4.90 MX$90.6
-96.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.63 ₫16.3K
$3.43 MX$63.5
-81.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ₫78.0K
$5.38 MX$99.4
-44.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.74 ₫19.1K
$1.45 MX$26.76
-48.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.3K ₫784.2M
$21.2K MX$391.0K
43.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.8K ₫746.4M
$23.0K MX$425.3K
25.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$29.87 ₫773.3K
$85.4 MX$1,577
-65.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.84 ₫151.3K
$23.46 MX$434
-75.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.95 ₫179.8K
$28.43 MX$525
-75.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.84 ₫643.2K
$62.2 MX$1,149
-60.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.53 ₫194.9K
$28.68 MX$530
-73.74%
Cinema Ticket
$3.46 ₫89.6K
$5.10 MX$94.3
-32.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$109 ₫2.8M
$201 MX$3,715
-45.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,317 ₫137.7M
$3,947 MX$72.9K
34.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$14.52 ₫375.8K
$44.39 MX$820
-67.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$11.54 ₫298.7K
$41.35 MX$764
-72.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.2 ₫2.0M
$72.7 MX$1,344
4.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$53.9 ₫1.4M
$89.6 MX$1,656
-39.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$157 ₫4.1M
$979 MX$18.1K
-83.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$88.2 ₫2.3M
$373 MX$6,887
-76.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$350 ₫9.0M
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-79.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$199 ₫5.2M
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-81.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,243 ₫58.1M
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-43.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,232 ₫31.9M
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-79.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tay Ninh
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$224 ₫5.8M
$738 MX$13.6K
-69.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.64
11.45
-24.54%

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

Last update for Tay Ninh: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Tay Ninh
$152
Playa del Carmen
$258 70% $106
Accommodation & Living
Tay Ninh
$88
Playa del Carmen
$373 323% $285
Clothing & Footwear
Tay Ninh
$70
Playa del Carmen
$112 58.9% $41
Eating Out
Tay Ninh
$44
Playa del Carmen
$200 357% $156
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tay Ninh
$43
Playa del Carmen
$137 222% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Tay Ninh
$32
Playa del Carmen
$72 128% $41
Getting Around
Tay Ninh
$11
Playa del Carmen
$52 363% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $157 in Tay Ninh versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $11.00 in Tay Ninh versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $152 vs $258 – making Tay Ninh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Tay Ninh
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
17:52 5:52 PM
05:52 5:52 AM
12 h behind Tay Ninh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
135,254
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tay Ninh Playa del Carmen 16,180 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tay Ninh
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Tay Ninh vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Tay Ninh?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 174%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $660 per month in Tay Ninh and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Tay Ninh and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $440 in Tay Ninh and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 174%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 323% less in Tay Ninh. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Tay Ninh or in Playa del Carmen?
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.
Is Tay Ninh or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Tay Ninh or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
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.

Tay Ninh vs other spots: cost of living compared

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