Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between La Chaux-de-Fonds and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,097 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,901 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,705 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 139% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

La Chaux-de-Fonds sits 125% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.23 CHF 20.51

$11.71 MX$199

115.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 CHF 72.0

$46.59 MX$791

90.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.81 CHF 15.30

$11.65 MX$198

61.46%

Cappuccino

$4.74 CHF 3.85

$4.09 MX$69.5

15.89%

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

$3.75 CHF 3.05

$1.37 MX$23.34

173.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.89

$0.83 MX$14.16

475.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 CHF 5.94

$3.35 MX$56.9

118.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 CHF 4.95

$6.91 MX$117

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 CHF 1.94

$1.73 MX$29.33

38.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 CHF 2.55

$2.26 MX$38.39

38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CHF 2.69

$1.77 MX$30.05

87.01%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.27

$2.73 MX$46.41

182.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.57 CHF 21.60

$9.18 MX$156

189.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.97 CHF 22.74

$8.92 MX$151

213.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.27 CHF 35.18

$12.60 MX$214

243.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 CHF 3.08

$3.02 MX$51.3

25.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.93

$1.57 MX$26.68

50.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CHF 2.44

$2.13 MX$36.10

40.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 CHF 3.92

$2.26 MX$38.46

113.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$2.00 MX$34.04

-25.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CHF 1.61

$2.06 MX$35.06

-3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CHF 1.89

$1.18 MX$20.04

97.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CHF 1.34

$1.20 MX$20.45

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 CHF 8.98

$4.63 MX$78.7

138.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 CHF 10.18

$10.69 MX$182

17.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CHF 1.97

$1.62 MX$27.50

49.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 CHF 2.52

$2.88 MX$48.93

7.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.54 CHF 3.69

$0.57 MX$9.74

696.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 83.5

$29.83 MX$507

244.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 CHF 6.70

$5.45 MX$92.5

51.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.68 CHF 3.80

$3.70 MX$62.9

26.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.4 CHF 71.9

$5.98 MX$102

1378.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.91

$1.55 MX$26.38

51.61%

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

$44.5K CHF 36.2K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

99.51%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.2K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

57.60%

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

$298 CHF 242

$89.1 MX$1,514

234.61%

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

$52.8 CHF 42.92

$25.04 MX$425

110.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 CHF 53.0

$31.50 MX$535

106.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.7 CHF 61.6

$67.8 MX$1,151

11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.04 CHF 38.24

$28.92 MX$491

62.66%

Cinema Ticket

$23.70 CHF 19.26

$5.05 MX$85.8

369.31%

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

$3,027 CHF 2,461

$225 MX$3,820

1245.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K CHF 17.0K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

396.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 CHF 123

$47.44 MX$806

220.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.8 CHF 66.5

$44.98 MX$764

81.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 CHF 139

$82.0 MX$1,392

108.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$206 CHF 168

$92.1 MX$1,564

123.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 CHF 1,203

$1,069 MX$18.2K

38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 CHF 905

$405 MX$6,884

174.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,032 CHF 3,278

$1,935 MX$32.9K

108.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CHF 2,008

$1,301 MX$22.1K

89.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.6K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

317.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.6K CHF 10.3K

$6,626 MX$112.5K

90.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,145 CHF 4,183

$749 MX$12.7K

587.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

11.45

-78.78%

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

Last update for La Chaux-de-Fonds: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,480 in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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.

Salaries run about 587% higher in La Chaux-de-Fonds, 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 $89.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $599 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

La Chaux-de-Fonds vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Chaux-de-Fonds costs about 139% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,646 per month in La Chaux-de-Fonds 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,097 in La Chaux-de-Fonds and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in La Chaux-de-Fonds at $3,097. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Chaux-de-Fonds it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,293 versus $3,097 in La Chaux-de-Fonds. 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, La Chaux-de-Fonds makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.