Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Glarus and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,410 per month in Glarus vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,117 per month in Glarus vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,823 per month in Glarus vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Glarus costs about 164% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Glarus sits 148% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.52 CHF 24.00

$11.71 MX$199

152.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 99.0

$46.59 MX$791

161.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.18 CHF 14.78

$11.65 MX$198

56.05%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 5.01

$4.09 MX$69.5

50.86%

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

$3.79 CHF 3.08

$1.37 MX$23.34

176.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CHF 3.19

$0.83 MX$14.16

372.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.45 CHF 7.68

$3.35 MX$56.9

182.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 CHF 5.18

$6.91 MX$117

-7.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.77

$1.73 MX$29.33

26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 CHF 2.68

$2.26 MX$38.39

46.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 CHF 2.36

$1.77 MX$30.05

63.84%

Eggs

$7.86 CHF 6.39

$2.73 MX$46.41

187.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 CHF 7.22

$9.18 MX$156

-3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.68 CHF 11.93

$8.92 MX$151

64.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.60 CHF 32.20

$12.60 MX$214

214.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 CHF 2.58

$3.02 MX$51.3

5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$1.57 MX$26.68

5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$2.13 MX$36.10

11.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 CHF 4.50

$2.26 MX$38.46

144.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 CHF 1.37

$2.00 MX$34.04

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$2.06 MX$35.06

4.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$1.18 MX$20.04

95.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CHF 1.00

$1.20 MX$20.45

2.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.93 CHF 8.88

$4.63 MX$78.7

136.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 CHF 9.21

$10.69 MX$182

5.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CHF 1.75

$1.62 MX$27.50

32.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CHF 1.92

$2.88 MX$48.93

-18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.33 CHF 5.15

$0.57 MX$9.74

1010.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$227 CHF 184

$29.83 MX$507

660.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.72 CHF 5.47

$5.45 MX$92.5

23.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.85 CHF 3.95

$3.70 MX$62.9

31.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.9 CHF 65.0

$5.98 MX$102

1236.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.80

$1.55 MX$26.38

42.58%

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

$35.7K CHF 29.0K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

59.90%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.4K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

53.73%

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

$324 CHF 263

$89.1 MX$1,514

262.95%

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

$38.59 CHF 31.37

$25.04 MX$425

54.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 CHF 44.51

$31.50 MX$535

73.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$167 CHF 135

$67.8 MX$1,151

145.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.68 CHF 34.70

$28.92 MX$491

47.58%

Cinema Ticket

$25.71 CHF 20.90

$5.05 MX$85.8

409.11%

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

$2,370 CHF 1,927

$225 MX$3,820

953.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.5K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

673.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 CHF 84.9

$47.44 MX$806

120.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 CHF 35.26

$44.98 MX$764

-3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 CHF 110

$82.0 MX$1,392

64.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CHF 81.9

$92.1 MX$1,564

9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 CHF 1,432

$1,069 MX$18.2K

64.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 CHF 1,144

$405 MX$6,884

247.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 CHF 2,482

$1,935 MX$32.9K

57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 CHF 1,899

$1,301 MX$22.1K

79.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

11.45

-81.66%

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

Last update for Glarus: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,762 in Glarus versus $1,069 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Glarus versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Glarus is pricier by about 164%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,115 per month in Glarus and $1,940 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.

Public transport costs about 661% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,370 per month in Glarus and $225 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 $1,293, than in Glarus at $3,410. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glarus 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.

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, Glarus makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.