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: $3,188 in Lachen versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,036 in Lachen versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,885 in Lachen versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lachen is roughly 148% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lachen is 138% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.38 CHF 24.79

$11.94 MX$208

162.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 115

$42.75 MX$744

241.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.67 CHF 14.75

$10.59 MX$184

76.30%

Cappuccino

$6.17 CHF 4.87

$3.62 MX$63.0

70.44%

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

$5.76 CHF 4.55

$1.47 MX$25.54

291.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.13

$0.94 MX$16.41

455.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 CHF 6.03

$3.09 MX$53.8

146.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 CHF 5.51

$4.46 MX$77.6

56.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.76

$1.43 MX$24.80

55.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CHF 2.14

$1.88 MX$32.79

43.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.90

$1.63 MX$28.34

47.24%

Eggs

$8.09 CHF 6.39

$2.64 MX$45.99

206.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.50 CHF 21.72

$8.21 MX$143

234.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 CHF 11.47

$8.29 MX$144

75.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.51 CHF 32.79

$11.10 MX$193

273.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CHF 2.47

$2.65 MX$46.14

17.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.45

$1.50 MX$26.11

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 CHF 1.96

$1.99 MX$34.59

24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 CHF 3.79

$2.08 MX$36.13

130.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CHF 1.97

$1.79 MX$31.11

39.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.80

$2.18 MX$37.87

4.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.04

$1.08 MX$18.73

138.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CHF 0.91

$1.04 MX$18.04

10.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CHF 8.51

$3.97 MX$69.1

171.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 CHF 9.47

$10.20 MX$178

17.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.73

$1.73 MX$30.04

26.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 CHF 1.87

$2.50 MX$43.46

-5.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 CHF 3.11

$0.52 MX$9.02

655.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.2 CHF 76.8

$26.97 MX$469

260.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.40

$3.14 MX$54.7

117.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.17 CHF 3.30

$2.40 MX$41.80

73.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.7 CHF 62.2

$3.09 MX$53.7

2446.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.67

$1.27 MX$22.16

66.14%

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

$39.7K CHF 31.3K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

28.46%

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

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

76.77%

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

$125 CHF 98.4

$82.0 MX$1,427

51.93%

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

$59.8 CHF 47.25

$22.45 MX$391

166.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 41.22

$29.66 MX$516

75.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.8 CHF 68.5

$51.9 MX$903

67.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$22.21 CHF 17.55

$4.97 MX$86.5

346.88%

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

$2,828 CHF 2,234

$198 MX$3,442

1329.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K CHF 27.6K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

563.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 CHF 97.3

$36.34 MX$632

238.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 CHF 51.7

$40.05 MX$697

63.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$158 CHF 125

$79.9 MX$1,390

98.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$230 CHF 182

$88.9 MX$1,547

158.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 CHF 1,317

$963 MX$16.8K

73.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 CHF 1,144

$465 MX$8,086

211.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 CHF 2,253

$1,596 MX$27.8K

78.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,452 CHF 1,937

$1,209 MX$21.0K

102.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

250.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K CHF 8,623

$6,448 MX$112.2K

69.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.0K CHF 7,932

$720 MX$12.5K

1293.77%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,667 in Lachen and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1294% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $507 vs $251 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 148% 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 1294% 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: $1,667 in Lachen versus $963 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 260% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,828 in Lachen versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,188 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 $1,287 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 148% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.