Located on the China–Vietnam border, it sits on the southern bank of Beilun River across Dongxing city of China's Guangxi Autonomous Region.

In particular, counting up to the end of March 2008, the volume of trade reached 720 Million which an increase of 82% from the same period of the previous year.

The tax revenue of Móng Cái in 2008 was more than 1,700 billion VND (nearly US$100 million) equal to 150% to the year of 2007 result in the fact that Móng Cái is only district level area in northern Vietnam has tax revenue more than 1,000 billion and rank third in the whole nation.

[citation needed] The nearby Trà Cổ Beach of Móng Cái attracts many Vietnamese tourists who come every year from Hanoi or Haiphong.

Many of the cities merchants are from China and usually start business in the morning and return to their homes across the border in the late afternoon.