Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fribourg and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,310 in Fribourg, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Fribourg
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Fribourg Living Index
59

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

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Fribourg

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,310

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,310 per month in Fribourg vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fribourg $3,310
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $4,866 per month in Fribourg vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fribourg $4,866
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $6,423 per month in Fribourg vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Fribourg $6,423
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Fribourg costs about 173% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Fribourg sits 145% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.10 CHF 24.79

$10.76 MX$199

179.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.0

$43.03 MX$795

173.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 CHF 12.58

$11.79 MX$218

29.52%

Cappuccino

$6.14 CHF 5.06

$3.87 MX$71.4

58.66%

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

$4.89 CHF 4.03

$1.37 MX$25.29

256.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 CHF 4.22

$0.84 MX$15.44

509.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 CHF 5.91

$3.10 MX$57.3

131.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.45 CHF 5.31

$5.07 MX$93.6

27.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.44 MX$26.55

48.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 CHF 2.59

$2.23 MX$41.23

41.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 CHF 2.89

$1.47 MX$27.17

138.78%

Eggs

$7.23 CHF 5.96

$2.53 MX$46.71

185.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.79 CHF 19.60

$7.30 MX$135

225.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.77 CHF 20.40

$7.86 MX$145

215.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.43 CHF 30.01

$12.79 MX$236

184.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.52 CHF 2.90

$2.90 MX$53.6

21.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.39

$1.44 MX$26.53

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 CHF 2.03

$2.55 MX$47.07

-3.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 CHF 3.67

$2.06 MX$38.03

116.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.47

$2.00 MX$36.97

-11.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.70

$2.01 MX$37.07

2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$1.19 MX$22.02

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.01

$1.26 MX$23.23

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.04

$4.40 MX$81.4

149.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 CHF 8.40

$9.59 MX$177

6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CHF 2.84

$1.59 MX$29.41

116.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$2.81 MX$51.9

-17.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 CHF 2.94

$0.57 MX$10.47

526.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 CHF 70.6

$27.82 MX$514

208.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 CHF 8.10

$4.98 MX$92.1

97.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 CHF 3.31

$3.50 MX$64.6

14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.4 CHF 59.7

$5.40 MX$99.8

1241.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$1.47 MX$27.08

53.74%

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

$41.7K CHF 34.3K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

98.70%

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

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

62.39%

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

$336 CHF 277

$84.2 MX$1,556

299.35%

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

$40.26 CHF 33.16

$23.99 MX$443

67.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CHF 46.31

$29.02 MX$536

93.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 CHF 48.39

$63.0 MX$1,164

-6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.82 CHF 24.56

$29.14 MX$539

2.33%

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.50

$4.94 MX$91.3

329.96%

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

$1,762 CHF 1,451

$204 MX$3,763

765.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K CHF 29.5K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

810.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 CHF 83.0

$43.60 MX$806

131.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CHF 46.97

$43.12 MX$797

32.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 131

$75.8 MX$1,400

110.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 156

$88.6 MX$1,637

113.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 CHF 1,293

$1,008 MX$18.6K

55.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 CHF 1,181

$374 MX$6,911

283.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 CHF 2,018

$1,708 MX$31.6K

43.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,176 CHF 1,792

$1,106 MX$20.4K

96.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$20.6K CHF 16.9K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

421.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.7K CHF 11.3K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

122.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,808 CHF 5,607

$754 MX$13.9K

802.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

11.45

-79.83%

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

Last update for Fribourg: 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

Fribourg

$1.4K 43.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 73.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Fribourg

$536 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 51.7% $277

Eating Out

Fribourg

$449 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 55% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fribourg

$433 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 68.3% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Fribourg

$228 6.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 50.4% $115

Getting Around

Fribourg

$130 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 59.6% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Fribourg

$101 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 28% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Fribourg versus $1,008 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 run about 803% higher in Fribourg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Fribourg versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $536 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Fribourg

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

11:00 11:00 AM

04:00 4:00 AM

7 h behind Fribourg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,485

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

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

From you

Fribourg
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

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

Fribourg costs about 173% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,965 per month in Fribourg and $1,816 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,762 per month in Fribourg and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 107% more in Fribourg, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Fribourg at $3,310. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fribourg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,210 versus $3,310 in Fribourg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fribourg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.