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: $3,458 in Lachen versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,285 in Lachen versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,113 in Lachen versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lachen is roughly 173% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lachen is 153% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.20 CHF 25.64

$11.60 MX$200

168.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 CHF 102

$47.11 MX$811

163.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.49 CHF 13.55

$11.88 MX$205

38.80%

Cappuccino

$6.38 CHF 5.24

$3.98 MX$68.5

60.30%

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

$5.85 CHF 4.81

$1.43 MX$24.57

309.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 CHF 4.36

$0.82 MX$14.20

546.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 CHF 7.08

$3.19 MX$54.9

170.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.76 CHF 8.02

$6.79 MX$117

43.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$1.68 MX$28.85

35.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 CHF 2.75

$2.20 MX$37.83

52.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 CHF 3.58

$1.71 MX$29.41

154.97%

Eggs

$7.83 CHF 6.43

$2.74 MX$47.20

185.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.28 CHF 22.42

$9.58 MX$165

184.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.78 CHF 22.01

$9.01 MX$155

197.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.44 CHF 34.05

$12.81 MX$221

223.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.02

$2.89 MX$49.74

27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.79

$1.50 MX$25.78

45.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.19

$2.15 MX$36.98

24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 CHF 3.95

$2.26 MX$38.91

112.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.66

$1.98 MX$34.10

2.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 CHF 1.92

$1.99 MX$34.26

17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 CHF 1.97

$1.23 MX$21.25

95.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CHF 1.20

$1.20 MX$20.60

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 9.07

$4.55 MX$78.3

142.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.50 CHF 11.09

$10.37 MX$179

30.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$1.62 MX$27.88

37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 CHF 2.32

$2.88 MX$49.60

-1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.64 CHF 3.81

$0.60 MX$10.34

673.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 CHF 84.5

$28.80 MX$496

257.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 CHF 6.51

$5.39 MX$92.8

46.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.89 CHF 4.02

$3.73 MX$64.2

31.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.2 CHF 72.4

$5.77 MX$99.3

1427.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$1.54 MX$26.45

47.40%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.3K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

90.41%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.4K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

55.84%

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

$242 CHF 199

$91.4 MX$1,573

164.87%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.54

$25.20 MX$434

28.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 CHF 55.1

$31.24 MX$538

114.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$93.7 CHF 77.0

$67.2 MX$1,157

39.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.12 CHF 38.72

$29.11 MX$501

61.87%

Cinema Ticket

$22.43 CHF 18.44

$4.86 MX$83.7

361.52%

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

$2,859 CHF 2,349

$224 MX$3,851

1178.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$45.1K CHF 37.1K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

966.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$140 CHF 115

$47.10 MX$811

196.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.1 CHF 74.9

$44.29 MX$763

105.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 124

$80.1 MX$1,379

88.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 CHF 143

$92.7 MX$1,596

87.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 CHF 1,405

$1,063 MX$18.3K

60.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CHF 1,230

$390 MX$6,719

283.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,971 CHF 2,441

$2,149 MX$37.0K

38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 CHF 2,161

$1,272 MX$21.9K

106.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.4K

$4,001 MX$68.9K

308.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$6,502 MX$112.0K

87.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$10.0K CHF 8,232

$758 MX$13.1K

1221.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

11.45

-84.98%

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

Last update for Lachen: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,709 in Lachen and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1221% 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: $124 in Lachen vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $593 vs $276 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 173% 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.

Average pay runs 1221% higher in Lachen, 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: $1,709 in Lachen versus $1,063 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 257% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,859 in Lachen versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,458 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 $1,266 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 173% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.