Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,813 in Aarau, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,813

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,813 per month in Aarau vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aarau $2,813
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,613 per month in Aarau vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aarau $4,613
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,413 per month in Aarau vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Aarau $6,413
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Aarau costs about 134% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Aarau sits 107% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.72 CHF 24.51

$10.92 MX$205

172.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 88.6

$43.37 MX$815

147.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.33 CHF 15.12

$11.78 MX$221

55.60%

Cappuccino

$5.90 CHF 4.87

$3.81 MX$71.6

54.86%

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

$5.27 CHF 4.35

$1.28 MX$24.10

311.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.96

$0.78 MX$14.71

515.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 CHF 4.91

$3.17 MX$59.5

87.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 CHF 5.35

$4.93 MX$92.7

31.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CHF 1.71

$1.41 MX$26.43

46.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 CHF 2.96

$2.22 MX$41.66

61.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$1.42 MX$26.64

88.03%

Eggs

$7.06 CHF 5.82

$2.52 MX$47.41

180.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.59 CHF 26.06

$7.26 MX$137

335.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.20

$7.70 MX$145

281.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.32 CHF 34.08

$12.69 MX$239

225.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$2.78 MX$52.3

2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.37 MX$25.71

24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.99

$2.55 MX$47.94

-5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 CHF 4.74

$2.12 MX$39.90

171.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.94 MX$36.43

-12.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 CHF 1.60

$1.89 MX$35.44

2.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$1.15 MX$21.55

99.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.91

$1.18 MX$22.16

-5.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 CHF 8.94

$4.30 MX$80.7

152.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 CHF 8.62

$9.95 MX$187

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 CHF 2.11

$1.58 MX$29.76

62.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CHF 2.37

$2.67 MX$50.2

7.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 CHF 4.08

$0.55 MX$10.40

800.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$147 CHF 122

$26.62 MX$500

453.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 CHF 3.72

$4.97 MX$93.4

-9.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 CHF 2.37

$3.33 MX$62.6

-13.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 CHF 50.2

$5.36 MX$101

1034.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$1.44 MX$27.14

52.08%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

86.68%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

64.64%

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

$121 CHF 99.6

$84.8 MX$1,594

42.35%

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

$28.73 CHF 23.69

$23.41 MX$440

22.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 CHF 47.25

$28.66 MX$539

99.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.2 CHF 80.1

$57.1 MX$1,072

70.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.5 CHF 50.7

$28.91 MX$543

112.73%

Cinema Ticket

$21.92 CHF 18.08

$5.14 MX$96.6

326.46%

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

$3,172 CHF 2,616

$207 MX$3,882

1435.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K CHF 20.2K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

522.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.1 CHF 74.3

$43.35 MX$815

107.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.5 CHF 59.0

$41.44 MX$779

72.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 89.8

$74.2 MX$1,394

46.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 CHF 138

$89.3 MX$1,677

87.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CHF 1,041

$980 MX$18.4K

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 CHF 859

$381 MX$7,157

173.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 CHF 1,874

$1,708 MX$32.1K

33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 CHF 1,777

$1,075 MX$20.2K

100.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 10.0K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

97.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,963 CHF 5,743

$735 MX$13.8K

848.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

11.45

-79.83%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 63.4% $660

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$595 21.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 57.2% $340

Eating Out

Aarau

$447 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 54.7% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 33.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 43.3% $85

Getting Around

Aarau

$186 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 72.9% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 52.3% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,263 in Aarau versus $980 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 in Aarau are about 9.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Aarau versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $595 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

6 h behind Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

149,923

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aarau Playa del Carmen 8,710 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
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

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

Aarau costs about 134% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,220 per month in Aarau 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,263 in Aarau.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,172 per month in Aarau and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Aarau at $2,813. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aarau it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.