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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,248 in Balzers versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,137 in Balzers versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,026 in Balzers versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Balzers is roughly 152% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Balzers is 143% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.24 CHF 24.71

$11.94 MX$209

161.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 96.4

$42.75 MX$748

185.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.08 CHF 17.46

$10.59 MX$185

108.50%

Cappuccino

$5.43 CHF 4.29

$3.62 MX$63.4

50.00%

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

$6.13 CHF 4.85

$1.47 MX$25.69

317.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 CHF 4.27

$0.94 MX$16.51

473.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 CHF 6.00

$3.09 MX$54.1

145.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CHF 5.98

$4.46 MX$78.0

69.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 CHF 2.19

$1.43 MX$24.94

93.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 CHF 2.50

$1.88 MX$32.97

68.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 CHF 2.17

$1.63 MX$28.50

68.71%

Eggs

$11.95 CHF 9.45

$2.64 MX$46.26

352.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.28 CHF 20.79

$8.21 MX$144

220.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.30 CHF 19.22

$8.29 MX$145

193.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.7 CHF 40.09

$11.10 MX$194

356.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 CHF 2.67

$2.65 MX$46.40

27.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.09

$1.50 MX$26.26

160.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 CHF 3.17

$1.99 MX$34.79

101.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.00

$2.08 MX$36.33

21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$1.79 MX$31.29

34.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.63

$2.18 MX$38.09

-5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 CHF 1.66

$1.08 MX$18.84

94.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 CHF 1.27

$1.04 MX$18.15

54.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.34 CHF 9.76

$3.97 MX$69.5

210.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 CHF 11.26

$10.20 MX$179

39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 CHF 1.61

$1.73 MX$30.22

17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 CHF 1.44

$2.50 MX$43.71

-27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 CHF 2.84

$0.52 MX$9.07

590.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 CHF 65.4

$26.97 MX$472

206.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 CHF 1.39

$3.14 MX$55.0

-44.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.86 CHF 7.01

$3.09 MX$54.0

186.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.81

$1.27 MX$22.28

80.31%

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

$35.5K CHF 28.1K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

15.09%

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

$32.8K CHF 25.9K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

40.63%

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

$220 CHF 174

$82.0 MX$1,435

168.44%

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

$40.02 CHF 31.65

$22.45 MX$393

78.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 CHF 58.8

$29.66 MX$519

150.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.1 CHF 72.8

$51.9 MX$908

77.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 CHF 19.13

$18.67 MX$327

29.57%

Cinema Ticket

$24.70 CHF 19.54

$4.97 MX$87.0

396.98%

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

$306 CHF 242

$198 MX$3,462

54.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,085 CHF 7,186

$5,273 MX$92.3K

72.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$36.34 MX$636

262.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 CHF 40.82

$40.05 MX$701

28.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 140

$79.9 MX$1,398

121.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 182

$88.9 MX$1,555

158.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 CHF 799

$963 MX$16.9K

4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 CHF 1,041

$465 MX$8,133

183.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,872 CHF 2,272

$1,596 MX$27.9K

79.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 CHF 1,885

$1,209 MX$21.2K

97.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.1K CHF 13.5K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

333.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,494 CHF 4,346

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-14.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,182 CHF 7,263

$720 MX$12.6K

1174.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.55

11.42

-33.89%

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

Last update for Balzers: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Balzers and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 1175% 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: $122 in Balzers vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $621 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Balzers pays 1175% more on average, 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: $1,010 in Balzers versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% higher in Balzers. 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 $43.00 versus $122 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,248 in Balzers, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Balzers. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Balzers 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 152% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.