Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biasca and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,605 in Biasca, rent and utilities included – about $28,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Biasca, Switzerland
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Biasca
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,605
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,605 in Biasca versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Biasca $3,605
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,269 in Biasca versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Biasca $5,269
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,933 in Biasca versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Biasca $6,933
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Biasca is roughly 200% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Biasca is 167% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.93 CHF 17.97
$10.67 MX$201
105.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.0 CHF 49.12
$43.80 MX$824
36.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.05 CHF 9.88
$11.79 MX$222
2.21%
Cappuccino
$4.15 CHF 3.40
$3.79 MX$71.2
9.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.46 CHF 5.29
$1.30 MX$24.41
396.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.13 CHF 5.03
$0.83 MX$15.69
638.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.66 CHF 7.91
$3.15 MX$59.2
206.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.64 CHF 6.26
$4.93 MX$92.9
54.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.18 CHF 1.78
$1.41 MX$26.51
54.61%
White Bread (500g)
$4.23 CHF 3.47
$2.20 MX$41.32
92.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.15 CHF 3.40
$1.47 MX$27.71
182.31%
Eggs
$7.99 CHF 6.55
$2.50 MX$46.99
219.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$27.47 CHF 22.51
$7.29 MX$137
276.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$31.67 CHF 25.95
$7.95 MX$150
298.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$42.87 CHF 35.13
$12.86 MX$242
233.36%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 CHF 2.93
$2.90 MX$54.5
23.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.98 CHF 1.62
$1.38 MX$26.03
43.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 CHF 2.34
$2.49 MX$46.88
14.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.38 CHF 4.41
$2.03 MX$38.20
165.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.07 CHF 1.70
$2.02 MX$38.11
2.48%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 CHF 1.80
$1.90 MX$35.82
15.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.44 CHF 2.00
$1.14 MX$21.54
114.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 CHF 1.09
$1.24 MX$23.32
7.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.13 CHF 9.12
$4.27 MX$80.4
160.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.33 CHF 15.02
$9.81 MX$185
86.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 CHF 2.46
$1.59 MX$29.85
89.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.08 CHF 3.34
$2.75 MX$51.7
48.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.76 CHF 3.90
$0.51 MX$9.69
833.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$113 CHF 92.7
$27.39 MX$515
313.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.97 CHF 7.35
$4.76 MX$89.6
88.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$6.08 CHF 4.98
$3.25 MX$61.1
87.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.71 CHF 30.08
$5.39 MX$101
581.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.37 CHF 1.94
$1.53 MX$28.76
54.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K CHF 31.7K
$21.2K MX$399.2K
82.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K CHF 32.2K
$23.3K MX$437.8K
68.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$319 CHF 261
$83.5 MX$1,571
282.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$38.58 CHF 31.61
$23.19 MX$436
66.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.6 CHF 50.5
$27.61 MX$520
123.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.4 CHF 60.9
$56.4 MX$1,062
31.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$51.6 CHF 42.27
$28.19 MX$531
82.97%
Cinema Ticket
$23.55 CHF 19.29
$5.00 MX$94.1
371.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,876 CHF 3,176
$207 MX$3,897
1771.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.6K CHF 34.9K
$5,231 MX$98.4K
714.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$165 CHF 135
$43.45 MX$818
279.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.0 CHF 55.7
$42.54 MX$801
59.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$153 CHF 125
$72.8 MX$1,369
110.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$279 CHF 228
$88.4 MX$1,663
215.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,987 CHF 1,628
$995 MX$18.7K
99.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,572 CHF 1,288
$382 MX$7,197
311.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,148 CHF 2,580
$1,674 MX$31.5K
88.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,601 CHF 2,131
$1,081 MX$20.3K
140.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.6K CHF 12.0K
$3,909 MX$73.6K
274.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$10.1K CHF 8,256
$6,138 MX$115.5K
64.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Biasca
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
11.45
-83.41%

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

Last update for Biasca: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Biasca
$1.6K
Playa del Carmen
$382 75.7% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Biasca
$646
Playa del Carmen
$257 60.2% $389
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Biasca
$419
Playa del Carmen
$134 68% $285
Eating Out
Biasca
$375
Playa del Carmen
$200 46.6% $175
Clothing & Footwear
Biasca
$299
Playa del Carmen
$111 62.8% $188
Getting Around
Biasca
$172
Playa del Carmen
$50 70.6% $121
Sport & Entertainment
Biasca
$121
Playa del Carmen
$66 45.3% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,987 in Biasca and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60 in Biasca vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Biasca
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
11:04 11:04 AM
05:04 5:04 AM
6 h behind Biasca
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.819 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.919 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Biasca Playa del Carmen 8,810 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Biasca
  • 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
Biasca vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Biasca and in Playa del Carmen?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,605 in Biasca and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Biasca compared to Playa del Carmen?
You’d need roughly $5,408 in Biasca and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Biasca and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,987 in Biasca versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Biasca or Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $3,605 per month in Biasca versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in Biasca and in Playa del Carmen?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 76% less than in Biasca. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,605 in Biasca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Biasca. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Biasca and Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Biasca or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Biasca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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