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: $3,202 in Balzers versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,093 in Balzers versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,983 in Balzers versus $2,980 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 138% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.88 CHF 24.51

$11.87 MX$204

160.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 98.3

$42.90 MX$736

188.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$22.11 CHF 17.55

$10.65 MX$183

107.61%

Cappuccino

$5.67 CHF 4.50

$3.45 MX$59.2

64.35%

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

$6.04 CHF 4.80

$1.50 MX$25.81

302.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 CHF 4.45

$0.95 MX$16.28

490.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.49 CHF 5.94

$3.03 MX$51.9

147.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CHF 5.79

$4.61 MX$79.1

58.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 CHF 2.18

$1.38 MX$23.61

98.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$1.85 MX$31.70

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.31

$1.61 MX$27.65

80.75%

Eggs

$12.19 CHF 9.68

$2.59 MX$44.51

370.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.81 CHF 20.49

$8.26 MX$142

212.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.43 CHF 19.39

$8.37 MX$144

191.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.8 CHF 40.35

$10.66 MX$183

376.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.76

$2.63 MX$45.12

31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.92 CHF 3.11

$1.49 MX$25.53

163.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 CHF 3.17

$1.92 MX$32.94

107.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 CHF 2.10

$2.09 MX$35.81

26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CHF 1.91

$1.86 MX$31.88

29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$2.26 MX$38.81

-3.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$1.06 MX$18.23

109.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.32

$1.09 MX$18.67

52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.52 CHF 9.94

$4.15 MX$71.2

201.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 CHF 11.17

$10.39 MX$178

35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CHF 1.63

$1.72 MX$29.59

19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CHF 1.40

$2.61 MX$44.85

-32.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 CHF 2.75

$0.54 MX$9.30

542.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.1 CHF 66.0

$26.94 MX$462

208.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 CHF 1.44

$3.13 MX$53.7

-42.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.65 CHF 6.87

$3.15 MX$54.1

174.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.73

$1.27 MX$21.88

71.65%

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

$35.7K CHF 28.3K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

17.57%

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

$32.9K CHF 26.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

39.68%

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

$216 CHF 172

$83.0 MX$1,425

160.65%

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

$40.39 CHF 32.06

$22.71 MX$390

77.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 CHF 57.3

$29.46 MX$506

145.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.9 CHF 74.5

$51.0 MX$875

84.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.77 CHF 19.66

$18.33 MX$315

35.13%

Cinema Ticket

$24.66 CHF 19.57

$4.93 MX$84.5

400.20%

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

$306 CHF 243

$197 MX$3,386

54.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,946 CHF 7,103

$5,280 MX$90.6K

69.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 CHF 103

$36.90 MX$633

250.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 CHF 41.74

$39.89 MX$685

31.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 141

$80.0 MX$1,373

121.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$224 CHF 178

$89.5 MX$1,536

150.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 CHF 796

$956 MX$16.4K

4.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 CHF 1,047

$477 MX$8,189

176.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 CHF 2,352

$1,646 MX$28.3K

80.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 CHF 1,901

$1,225 MX$21.0K

95.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.0K CHF 13.5K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

333.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,283 CHF 4,194

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,926 CHF 7,086

$667 MX$11.4K

1238.24%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Balzers and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 1238% 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: $124 in Balzers vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $624 vs $250 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 1238% 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: $1,003 in Balzers versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 150% 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 $124 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,202 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.