Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Biel and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,841 in Biel, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Biel
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Biel Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Biel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,841

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,841 per month in Biel vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Biel $2,841
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,464 per month in Biel vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Biel $4,464
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,086 per month in Biel vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Biel $6,086
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Biel costs about 136% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Biel sits 109% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.78 CHF 24.65

$10.92 MX$203

172.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 CHF 90.9

$43.37 MX$808

153.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.20 CHF 15.07

$11.78 MX$219

54.50%

Cappuccino

$6.18 CHF 5.12

$3.81 MX$71.0

62.20%

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

$5.19 CHF 4.30

$1.28 MX$23.89

305.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CHF 3.59

$0.78 MX$14.58

456.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 CHF 6.60

$3.17 MX$59.0

151.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$4.93 MX$91.9

-2.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.82

$1.41 MX$26.20

55.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 CHF 3.34

$2.22 MX$41.30

81.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$1.42 MX$26.40

123.24%

Eggs

$7.29 CHF 6.04

$2.52 MX$47.00

189.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.06 CHF 18.26

$7.26 MX$135

203.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.61 CHF 22.86

$7.70 MX$143

258.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.54 CHF 32.74

$12.69 MX$236

211.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 CHF 2.64

$2.78 MX$51.9

14.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.37 MX$25.49

56.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.06

$2.55 MX$47.52

-2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.64

$2.12 MX$39.55

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CHF 1.23

$1.94 MX$36.11

-23.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.48

$1.89 MX$35.13

-5.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CHF 1.69

$1.15 MX$21.36

77.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 CHF 0.88

$1.18 MX$21.96

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 CHF 9.16

$4.30 MX$80.0

157.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 CHF 12.65

$9.95 MX$185

53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CHF 0.77

$1.58 MX$29.50

-40.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CHF 1.47

$2.67 MX$49.76

-33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 CHF 3.97

$0.55 MX$10.31

772.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 CHF 78.4

$26.62 MX$496

255.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 CHF 6.55

$4.97 MX$92.6

59.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.65 CHF 3.85

$3.33 MX$62.1

39.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.5 CHF 70.8

$5.36 MX$99.8

1495.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$1.44 MX$26.90

53.47%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.8K

$20.7K MX$385.0K

91.97%

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

$34.3K CHF 28.4K

$23.5K MX$437.2K

46.33%

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

$134 CHF 111

$84.8 MX$1,580

58.60%

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

$35.35 CHF 29.27

$23.41 MX$436

51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CHF 42.65

$28.66 MX$534

79.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.5 CHF 62.5

$57.1 MX$1,063

32.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$22.03 CHF 18.24

$5.14 MX$95.7

328.60%

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

$2,676 CHF 2,215

$207 MX$3,848

1195.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K CHF 30.3K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

830.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 88.3

$43.35 MX$808

146.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.85 CHF 33.82

$41.44 MX$772

-1.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 CHF 114

$74.2 MX$1,382

85.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$220 CHF 182

$89.3 MX$1,663

146.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 CHF 1,019

$980 MX$18.2K

25.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 CHF 930

$381 MX$7,095

195.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 CHF 1,861

$1,708 MX$31.8K

31.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 CHF 1,662

$1,075 MX$20.0K

86.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,720 CHF 8,047

$3,943 MX$73.5K

146.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,717 CHF 6,389

$6,158 MX$114.7K

25.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,640 CHF 4,669

$735 MX$13.7K

667.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.68

11.45

-85.33%

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

Last update for Biel: October 25, 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

Biel

$1.1K 39.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 66.1% $743

Groceries & Markets

Biel

$549 19.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 53.6% $295

Eating Out

Biel

$455 16%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 55.5% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Biel

$228 8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 50.9% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Biel

$221 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 38.2% $85

Getting Around

Biel

$145 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 65.2% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Biel

$120 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 43.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,231 in Biel 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 Biel are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $110 in Biel versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Biel

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

23:26 11:26 PM

6 h behind Biel

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,378

149,923

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Biel Playa del Carmen 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Biel
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

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

Yes – Biel is pricier by about 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,262 per month in Biel 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 $1,231 in Biel.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,676 per month in Biel 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 Biel at $2,841. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Biel 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, Biel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.