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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,280 in Lachen versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,000 in Lachen versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,720 in Lachen versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lachen is roughly 153% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lachen is 146% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.87 CHF 24.48

$11.73 MX$202

163.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$41.78 MX$719

248.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.39 CHF 14.58

$10.41 MX$179

76.66%

Cappuccino

$6.15 CHF 4.88

$3.61 MX$62.1

70.36%

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

$5.72 CHF 4.54

$1.46 MX$25.06

291.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 CHF 4.11

$0.97 MX$16.70

435.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 CHF 5.86

$2.92 MX$50.3

153.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 CHF 5.56

$4.62 MX$79.5

51.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.81

$1.43 MX$24.59

60.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 CHF 2.08

$1.90 MX$32.70

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.93

$1.57 MX$26.95

54.78%

Eggs

$8.30 CHF 6.58

$2.64 MX$45.34

214.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.92 CHF 22.14

$8.44 MX$145

230.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.89 CHF 11.81

$8.58 MX$148

73.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.81 CHF 32.36

$11.00 MX$189

271.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 CHF 2.48

$2.70 MX$46.51

15.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 CHF 1.50

$1.51 MX$25.92

25.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 CHF 1.92

$1.91 MX$32.93

26.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 CHF 3.93

$2.17 MX$37.37

128.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.00

$1.87 MX$32.25

34.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.88

$2.23 MX$38.43

6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.05

$1.08 MX$18.60

138.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.91

$1.07 MX$18.47

7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CHF 8.54

$4.16 MX$71.6

158.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 CHF 9.27

$10.29 MX$177

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$1.68 MX$28.95

32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$2.53 MX$43.59

-9.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 3.03

$0.55 MX$9.53

594.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 79.6

$26.29 MX$452

281.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 CHF 5.37

$3.20 MX$55.0

111.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.27 CHF 3.39

$2.46 MX$42.37

73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.7 CHF 63.2

$3.20 MX$55.0

2389.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.74

$1.32 MX$22.72

65.91%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.0K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

33.73%

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

$42.0K CHF 33.3K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

79.37%

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

$124 CHF 98.3

$81.4 MX$1,400

52.29%

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

$59.9 CHF 47.50

$22.41 MX$386

167.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 CHF 42.68

$29.97 MX$516

79.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.2 CHF 70.7

$51.6 MX$887

72.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$21.96 CHF 17.41

$5.16 MX$88.9

325.58%

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

$2,789 CHF 2,212

$202 MX$3,471

1282.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K CHF 28.0K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

565.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 CHF 96.6

$35.61 MX$613

241.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.0 CHF 52.3

$40.37 MX$695

63.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 CHF 125

$78.6 MX$1,353

99.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 182

$86.9 MX$1,495

164.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 CHF 1,343

$950 MX$16.3K

78.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 CHF 1,160

$478 MX$8,227

205.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,778 CHF 2,203

$1,621 MX$27.9K

71.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 CHF 1,990

$1,223 MX$21.0K

105.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.4K CHF 13.0K

$4,009 MX$69.0K

308.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K CHF 9,166

$6,473 MX$111.4K

78.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.1K CHF 7,971

$673 MX$11.6K

1393.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

11.42

-78.11%

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

Last update for Lachen: June 16, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Lachen and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1394% 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: $146 in Lachen vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $510 vs $254 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lachen pays 1394% more on average, 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: $1,693 in Lachen versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 282% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,789 in Lachen versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,280 in Lachen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lachen. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,294 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lachen 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 153% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.