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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,422 per month in Liestal vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,380 per month in Liestal vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,338 per month in Liestal vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Liestal costs about 169% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Liestal sits 155% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.24 CHF 22.42

$11.87 MX$204

137.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 CHF 86.3

$42.90 MX$736

153.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.09 CHF 15.15

$10.65 MX$183

79.25%

Cappuccino

$5.69 CHF 4.51

$3.45 MX$59.2

64.93%

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

$4.72 CHF 3.75

$1.50 MX$25.81

214.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 CHF 3.66

$0.95 MX$16.28

385.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.37 CHF 6.64

$3.03 MX$51.9

176.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.80

$4.61 MX$79.1

31.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$1.38 MX$23.61

57.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 CHF 2.72

$1.85 MX$31.70

85.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.19 CHF 4.12

$1.61 MX$27.65

222.36%

Eggs

$7.81 CHF 6.20

$2.59 MX$44.51

201.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.58 CHF 22.69

$8.26 MX$142

246.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$36.01 CHF 28.59

$8.37 MX$144

330.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.91 CHF 32.48

$10.66 MX$183

283.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 CHF 3.07

$2.63 MX$45.12

47.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.18

$1.49 MX$25.53

83.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.31

$1.92 MX$32.94

51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.87 CHF 5.46

$2.09 MX$35.81

228.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 CHF 2.51

$1.86 MX$31.88

69.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CHF 2.32

$2.26 MX$38.81

29.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.07

$1.06 MX$18.23

146.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 CHF 0.99

$1.09 MX$18.67

13.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.46 CHF 9.10

$4.15 MX$71.2

176.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 CHF 10.77

$10.39 MX$178

30.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CHF 1.57

$1.72 MX$29.59

15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CHF 1.77

$2.61 MX$44.85

-14.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 CHF 2.87

$0.54 MX$9.30

568.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 CHF 54.8

$26.94 MX$462

156.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 CHF 6.44

$3.13 MX$53.7

159.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.25 CHF 3.37

$2.51 MX$43.09

69.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.6 CHF 72.7

$3.15 MX$54.1

2806.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.70

$1.27 MX$21.88

68.50%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.4K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

34.36%

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

$48.7K CHF 38.7K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

106.60%

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

$377 CHF 299

$83.0 MX$1,425

353.69%

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

$54.4 CHF 43.18

$22.71 MX$390

139.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 CHF 46.45

$29.46 MX$506

98.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.1 CHF 70.0

$51.0 MX$875

72.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$61.1 CHF 48.53

$18.33 MX$315

233.50%

Cinema Ticket

$24.55 CHF 19.49

$4.93 MX$84.5

397.97%

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

$2,604 CHF 2,067

$197 MX$3,386

1219.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K CHF 27.3K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

552.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$135 CHF 107

$36.90 MX$633

265.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.3 CHF 54.2

$39.89 MX$685

71.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 136

$80.0 MX$1,373

114.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 180

$89.5 MX$1,536

153.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,158

$956 MX$16.4K

52.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 CHF 1,056

$477 MX$8,189

178.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 CHF 1,967

$1,646 MX$28.3K

50.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,687 CHF 2,133

$1,225 MX$21.0K

119.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,552 CHF 6,789

$6,459 MX$110.9K

32.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,441 CHF 7,495

$667 MX$11.4K

1315.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.52

11.42

-77.93%

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

Last update for Liestal: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,459 in Liestal versus $956 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 1315% higher in Liestal, 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 $109 in Liestal versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $660 vs $250 – 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

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

Yes – Liestal is pricier by about 169%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,133 per month in Liestal and $1,906 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.

Public transport costs about 156% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,604 per month in Liestal and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Liestal at $3,422. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Liestal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Liestal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.