Cost of Living Comparison Between Acquarossa and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Acquarossa and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,649 in Acquarossa versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,668 in Acquarossa versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,686 in Acquarossa versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Acquarossa is roughly 182% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acquarossa is 166% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$36.74 CHF 29.87

$11.71 MX$199

213.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 120

$46.59 MX$791

215.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.75 CHF 15.24

$11.65 MX$198

60.94%

Cappuccino

$7.29 CHF 5.93

$4.09 MX$69.5

78.24%

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

$6.06 CHF 4.93

$1.37 MX$23.34

342.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 CHF 4.51

$0.83 MX$14.16

567.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.01 CHF 8.14

$3.35 MX$56.9

198.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 CHF 6.99

$6.91 MX$117

24.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.76

$1.73 MX$29.33

25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 CHF 3.17

$2.26 MX$38.39

72.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.11

$1.77 MX$30.05

115.82%

Eggs

$8.84 CHF 7.19

$2.73 MX$46.41

223.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.55 CHF 22.40

$9.18 MX$156

200.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.86 CHF 22.65

$8.92 MX$151

212.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$62.2 CHF 50.6

$12.60 MX$214

393.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 CHF 3.40

$3.02 MX$51.3

38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 CHF 2.39

$1.57 MX$26.68

86.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.93

$2.13 MX$36.10

69.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 CHF 3.98

$2.26 MX$38.46

116.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.11

$2.00 MX$34.04

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.86

$2.06 MX$35.06

11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.04

$1.18 MX$20.04

112.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CHF 1.04

$1.20 MX$20.45

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 CHF 9.06

$4.63 MX$78.7

140.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 CHF 11.09

$10.69 MX$182

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CHF 2.26

$1.62 MX$27.50

71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CHF 2.66

$2.88 MX$48.93

13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 CHF 3.35

$0.57 MX$9.74

624.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 CHF 94.3

$29.83 MX$507

288.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 CHF 6.59

$5.45 MX$92.5

48.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.72

$3.70 MX$62.9

23.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.6 CHF 73.7

$5.98 MX$102

1415.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.55 MX$26.38

49.03%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.4K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

78.70%

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

$41.0K CHF 33.3K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

57.81%

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

$291 CHF 237

$89.1 MX$1,514

226.55%

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

$39.55 CHF 32.16

$25.04 MX$425

57.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 CHF 46.77

$31.50 MX$535

82.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.0 CHF 66.7

$67.8 MX$1,151

21.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.73 CHF 33.12

$28.92 MX$491

40.84%

Cinema Ticket

$25.17 CHF 20.47

$5.05 MX$85.8

398.42%

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

$3,674 CHF 2,987

$225 MX$3,820

1533.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$44.0K CHF 35.8K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

942.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$47.44 MX$806

205.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 49.79

$44.98 MX$764

36.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$170 CHF 138

$82.0 MX$1,392

107.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$266 CHF 216

$92.1 MX$1,564

188.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 CHF 1,429

$1,069 MX$18.2K

64.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 CHF 1,040

$405 MX$6,884

215.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,757 CHF 2,242

$1,935 MX$32.9K

42.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 CHF 2,012

$1,301 MX$22.1K

90.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K CHF 14.2K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

337.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,755

$6,626 MX$112.5K

81.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$749 MX$12.7K

1562.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

11.45

-81.92%

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

Last update for Acquarossa: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,757 in Acquarossa and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 1562% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $147 in Acquarossa vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $683 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 182% lower than in Acquarossa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1562% higher in Acquarossa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,757 in Acquarossa versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $147 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,649 in Acquarossa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Acquarossa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,293 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Acquarossa and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.