Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuy Hoa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuy Hoa: $750 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Tuy Hoa
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Tuy Hoa Living Index
59

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

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Tuy Hoa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$750

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tuy Hoa 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 Tuy Hoa and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $750 per month in Tuy Hoa vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tuy Hoa $750
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,222 per month in Tuy Hoa vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tuy Hoa $1,222
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,694 per month in Tuy Hoa vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tuy Hoa $1,694
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Tuy Hoa is about 38% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Tuy Hoa and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Tuy Hoa 45% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.58 ₫66.9K

$10.86 MX$201

-76.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.12 ₫598.7K

$44.21 MX$817

-47.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.61 ₫119.3K

$11.76 MX$217

-60.80%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₫43.7K

$3.68 MX$68.0

-54.08%

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

$0.39 ₫10.1K

$1.34 MX$24.79

-70.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ₫5,967

$0.82 MX$15.24

-71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$3.06 MX$56.6

-80.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 ₫32.5K

$4.94 MX$91.2

-74.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ₫37.9K

$1.47 MX$27.17

-0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₫11.6K

$2.22 MX$40.95

-79.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₫26.6K

$1.48 MX$27.32

-30.41%

Eggs

$1.38 ₫35.8K

$2.49 MX$45.99

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 ₫307.4K

$7.52 MX$139

57.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ₫81.4K

$7.96 MX$147

-60.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 ₫295.2K

$12.57 MX$232

-9.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₫51.3K

$2.78 MX$51.3

-28.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ₫20.2K

$1.43 MX$26.37

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 ₫27.4K

$2.62 MX$48.37

-59.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$2.14 MX$39.49

-43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ₫19.8K

$2.02 MX$37.38

-62.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 ₫18.4K

$1.99 MX$36.74

-64.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 ₫20.7K

$1.14 MX$21.01

-29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₫9,883

$1.20 MX$22.18

-68.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ₫40.4K

$4.26 MX$78.7

-63.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 ₫301.3K

$10.02 MX$185

16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₫14.8K

$1.54 MX$28.41

-62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₫47.6K

$2.66 MX$49.17

-30.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₫7,355

$0.53 MX$9.73

-47.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 ₫153.5K

$27.51 MX$508

-78.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 ₫14.3K

$4.90 MX$90.6

-88.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.5K

$3.43 MX$63.5

-83.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 ₫70.1K

$5.38 MX$99.4

-49.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 ₫23.8K

$1.45 MX$26.76

-36.55%

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

$30.8K ₫796.6M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

45.44%

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

$27.9K ₫722.2M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

21.20%

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

$77.9 ₫2.0M

$85.4 MX$1,577

-8.80%

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

$6.58 ₫170.3K

$23.46 MX$434

-71.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.15 ₫237.0K

$28.43 MX$525

-67.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.26 ₫602.1K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-62.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.11 ₫184.2K

$28.68 MX$530

-75.21%

Cinema Ticket

$1.96 ₫50.7K

$5.10 MX$94.3

-61.57%

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

$215 ₫5.6M

$201 MX$3,715

6.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,902 ₫101.0M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-1.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.54 ₫1.1M

$44.39 MX$820

-6.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.04 ₫622.4K

$41.35 MX$764

-41.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.84 ₫1.3M

$72.7 MX$1,344

-32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 ₫1.9M

$89.6 MX$1,656

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₫11.3M

$979 MX$18.1K

-55.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 ₫7.5M

$373 MX$6,887

-22.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 ₫21.6M

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-50.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 ₫17.2M

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-39.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,230 ₫57.7M

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-43.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,304 ₫33.8M

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-78.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.28

11.45

-27.69%

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

Last update for Tuy Hoa: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tuy Hoa

$290 38.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 28.3% $82

Groceries & Markets

Tuy Hoa

$180 24.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 43.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tuy Hoa

$94 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 46.7% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Tuy Hoa

$85 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 30.8% $26

Eating Out

Tuy Hoa

$63 8.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 219% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Tuy Hoa

$27 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 167% $45

Getting Around

Tuy Hoa

$10 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 396% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $438 in Tuy Hoa 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Tuy Hoa versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $258 – making Tuy Hoa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Tuy Hoa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

05:51 5:51 AM

12 h behind Tuy Hoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,030

149,923

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Tuy Hoa
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

Tuy Hoa vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 61%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,125 per month in Tuy Hoa and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $750 in Tuy Hoa and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 61%.

Public transport costs about 364% 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 $750, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. 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.