Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubendorf and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,678 in Dubendorf, rent and utilities included – about $29,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Dubendorf
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Dubendorf Living Index
59

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

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Dubendorf

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,678

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,678 in Dubendorf versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Dubendorf $3,678
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,457 in Dubendorf versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Dubendorf $5,457
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,236 in Dubendorf versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Dubendorf $7,236
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Dubendorf is roughly 204% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dubendorf is 172% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.44 CHF 24.24

$10.76 MX$199

173.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.4

$43.03 MX$795

174.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.26 CHF 13.39

$11.79 MX$218

37.91%

Cappuccino

$5.92 CHF 4.88

$3.87 MX$71.4

52.97%

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

$5.47 CHF 4.50

$1.37 MX$25.29

299.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 CHF 4.02

$0.84 MX$15.44

480.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 CHF 6.78

$3.10 MX$57.3

165.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.44 CHF 5.30

$5.07 MX$93.6

27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.44 MX$26.55

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 CHF 3.23

$2.23 MX$41.23

75.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 CHF 3.81

$1.47 MX$27.17

214.29%

Eggs

$7.33 CHF 6.04

$2.53 MX$46.71

189.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.45 CHF 26.72

$7.30 MX$135

344.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.18 CHF 21.56

$7.86 MX$145

233.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.54 CHF 35.03

$12.79 MX$236

232.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$2.90 MX$53.6

23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.44 MX$26.53

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$2.55 MX$47.07

21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.00 CHF 5.76

$2.06 MX$38.03

239.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$2.00 MX$36.97

24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.01 MX$37.07

7.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CHF 2.07

$1.19 MX$22.02

111.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 CHF 1.15

$1.26 MX$23.23

11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.91 CHF 8.98

$4.40 MX$81.4

147.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 CHF 10.98

$9.59 MX$177

39.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$1.59 MX$29.41

47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CHF 2.83

$2.81 MX$51.9

22.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$0.57 MX$10.47

310.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.20 CHF 39.69

$27.82 MX$514

73.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 CHF 4.42

$4.98 MX$92.1

7.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 CHF 2.82

$3.50 MX$64.6

-2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 CHF 49.90

$5.40 MX$99.8

1021.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$1.47 MX$27.08

53.06%

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

$41.8K CHF 34.5K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

99.37%

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

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

63.28%

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

$235 CHF 194

$84.2 MX$1,556

179.23%

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

$31.38 CHF 25.84

$23.99 MX$443

30.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CHF 53.7

$29.02 MX$536

124.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 CHF 99.5

$63.0 MX$1,164

91.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$78.7 CHF 64.8

$29.14 MX$539

170.11%

Cinema Ticket

$24.26 CHF 19.98

$4.94 MX$91.3

391.09%

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

$1,777 CHF 1,463

$204 MX$3,763

772.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

722.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 115

$43.60 MX$806

220.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$87.0 CHF 71.6

$43.12 MX$797

101.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 120

$75.8 MX$1,400

92.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 142

$88.6 MX$1,637

94.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CHF 1,486

$1,008 MX$18.6K

78.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CHF 1,462

$374 MX$6,911

374.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 CHF 2,316

$1,708 MX$31.6K

64.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 CHF 2,275

$1,106 MX$20.4K

149.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,902

$3,944 MX$72.9K

204.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,098 CHF 5,846

$6,169 MX$114.0K

15.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,844 CHF 3,166

$754 MX$13.9K

409.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.48

11.45

-78.34%

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

Last update for Dubendorf: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubendorf

$1.8K 48.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 78.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Dubendorf

$626 17%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 58.7% $367

Eating Out

Dubendorf

$451 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 55.1% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubendorf

$332 9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 58.6% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Dubendorf

$245 6.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 54% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Dubendorf

$169 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 56.9% $96

Getting Around

Dubendorf

$80 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 34.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,805 in Dubendorf and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubendorf pays 410% 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: $118 in Dubendorf vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $626 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Dubendorf

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

02:21 2:21 AM

7 h behind Dubendorf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,759

149,923

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubendorf Playa del Carmen 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubendorf
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

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

Dubendorf and Playa del Carmen differ by about 204% in total monthly costs ($3,678 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 410% higher in Dubendorf, 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: $1,805 in Dubendorf versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,678 per month in Dubendorf versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 73% less than in Dubendorf. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,678 in Dubendorf, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Dubendorf. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Dubendorf 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 204% less than in Dubendorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.