Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lancy and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,462 in Lancy, rent and utilities included – about $27,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lancy, Switzerland
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Lancy
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,462
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lancy and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lancy and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,462 in Lancy versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lancy $3,462
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,269 in Lancy versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lancy $5,269
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,075 in Lancy versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Lancy $7,075
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Lancy is roughly 188% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lancy is 156% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$28.98 CHF 23.66
$10.67 MX$199
171.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$124 CHF 101
$43.80 MX$815
183.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.56 CHF 12.70
$11.79 MX$219
31.98%
Cappuccino
$6.48 CHF 5.29
$3.79 MX$70.5
70.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.83 CHF 3.95
$1.30 MX$24.14
271.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 CHF 3.40
$0.83 MX$15.51
401.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.04 CHF 7.38
$3.15 MX$58.6
186.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.76 CHF 6.34
$4.93 MX$91.8
57.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.27 CHF 1.85
$1.41 MX$26.22
60.99%
White Bread (500g)
$2.92 CHF 2.39
$2.20 MX$40.86
32.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.18 CHF 2.60
$1.47 MX$27.40
116.33%
Eggs
$7.91 CHF 6.46
$2.50 MX$46.46
216.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.19 CHF 19.75
$7.29 MX$136
231.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$29.43 CHF 24.03
$7.95 MX$148
270.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$39.61 CHF 32.34
$12.86 MX$239
208.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 CHF 2.94
$2.90 MX$53.9
24.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 CHF 1.42
$1.38 MX$25.74
26.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 CHF 2.25
$2.49 MX$46.35
10.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 CHF 3.90
$2.03 MX$37.77
135.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.63 CHF 1.33
$2.02 MX$37.68
-19.31%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 CHF 1.64
$1.90 MX$35.42
5.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 CHF 1.83
$1.14 MX$21.30
96.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 CHF 1.10
$1.24 MX$23.05
8.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.16 CHF 9.11
$4.27 MX$79.5
161.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.03 CHF 9.82
$9.81 MX$183
22.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 CHF 1.87
$1.59 MX$29.51
44.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CHF 2.37
$2.75 MX$51.1
5.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.58 CHF 3.74
$0.51 MX$9.58
798.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 CHF 87.7
$27.39 MX$510
292.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.73 CHF 6.31
$4.76 MX$88.6
62.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.83 CHF 3.13
$3.25 MX$60.5
17.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$64.8 CHF 52.9
$5.39 MX$100
1102.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.43 CHF 1.98
$1.53 MX$28.44
58.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.1K CHF 31.9K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
84.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K CHF 32.5K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
71.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$274 CHF 223
$83.5 MX$1,554
227.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.38 CHF 23.17
$23.19 MX$431
22.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.7 CHF 44.64
$27.61 MX$514
98.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$87.0 CHF 71.0
$56.4 MX$1,050
54.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$52.9 CHF 43.18
$28.19 MX$525
87.62%
Cinema Ticket
$24.23 CHF 19.79
$5.00 MX$93.1
384.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,564 CHF 2,094
$207 MX$3,854
1138.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.2K CHF 28.7K
$5,231 MX$97.3K
573.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$139 CHF 114
$43.45 MX$809
220.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.8 CHF 49.62
$42.54 MX$792
42.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$158 CHF 129
$72.8 MX$1,354
117.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$188 CHF 153
$88.4 MX$1,645
112.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,809 CHF 1,477
$995 MX$18.5K
81.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,544 CHF 1,261
$382 MX$7,116
303.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,929 CHF 2,391
$1,674 MX$31.2K
74.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 CHF 2,126
$1,081 MX$20.1K
140.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.9K CHF 12.2K
$3,909 MX$72.7K
281.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.1K CHF 9,880
$6,138 MX$114.2K
97.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lancy
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.98
11.45
-82.71%

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

Last update for Lancy: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lancy
$1.5K
Playa del Carmen
$382 75.2% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Lancy
$574
Playa del Carmen
$257 55.1% $316
Eating Out
Lancy
$453
Playa del Carmen
$200 55.8% $253
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lancy
$357
Playa del Carmen
$134 62.4% $222
Clothing & Footwear
Lancy
$246
Playa del Carmen
$111 54.8% $135
Getting Around
Lancy
$153
Playa del Carmen
$50 66.9% $102
Sport & Entertainment
Lancy
$135
Playa del Carmen
$66 51% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,809 in Lancy and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $124 in Lancy vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $574 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇭 Lancy
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:54 8:54 AM
02:54 2:54 AM
6 h behind Lancy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,919
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lancy Playa del Carmen 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lancy
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Lancy vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Lancy?
Playa del Carmen is about 65% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $5,192 in Lancy and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Lancy and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,809 in Lancy versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Lancy and in Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $3,462 per month in Lancy versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 75% less than in Lancy. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lancy or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,462 in Lancy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lancy. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lancy or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lancy, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Lancy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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