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 $3,487 per month in Liestal vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,348 per month in Liestal vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,209 per month in Liestal vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Liestal costs about 177% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Liestal sits 162% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.26 CHF 22.81

$11.72 MX$203

141.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 85.3

$41.89 MX$725

152.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.44 CHF 15.68

$10.51 MX$182

84.97%

Cappuccino

$5.72 CHF 4.62

$3.59 MX$62.0

59.33%

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

$4.82 CHF 3.89

$1.51 MX$26.10

219.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 CHF 3.85

$0.92 MX$15.83

418.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 CHF 6.66

$2.96 MX$51.2

179.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 CHF 4.92

$4.41 MX$76.3

38.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.82

$1.40 MX$24.16

60.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CHF 2.73

$1.88 MX$32.60

80.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.20 CHF 4.19

$1.56 MX$26.97

233.33%

Eggs

$7.93 CHF 6.40

$2.61 MX$45.14

203.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.35 CHF 22.87

$8.32 MX$144

240.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.74 CHF 28.84

$8.35 MX$145

328.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.42 CHF 32.62

$10.86 MX$188

272.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.08

$2.71 MX$46.93

40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.21

$1.51 MX$26.04

80.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 CHF 2.44

$1.87 MX$32.41

62.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.93 CHF 5.59

$2.19 MX$37.89

216.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 CHF 2.65

$1.86 MX$32.14

76.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.39

$2.23 MX$38.59

33.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.11

$1.07 MX$18.48

143.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CHF 1.02

$1.09 MX$18.79

15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 CHF 9.30

$4.19 MX$72.4

174.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.33 CHF 10.76

$10.43 MX$180

27.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CHF 1.52

$1.66 MX$28.68

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 CHF 1.86

$2.61 MX$45.19

-11.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 CHF 2.97

$0.54 MX$9.37

579.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 CHF 54.4

$26.16 MX$453

157.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.23 CHF 6.64

$3.08 MX$53.3

167.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.27 CHF 3.44

$2.40 MX$41.61

77.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$91.8 CHF 74.1

$3.13 MX$54.1

2831.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 CHF 1.73

$1.31 MX$22.69

64.12%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

37.15%

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

$48.5K CHF 39.1K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

107.83%

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

$365 CHF 294

$81.3 MX$1,406

348.88%

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

$53.8 CHF 43.43

$22.56 MX$390

138.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 47.96

$30.05 MX$520

97.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.0 CHF 70.2

$52.9 MX$915

64.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.14 CHF 37.23

$18.39 MX$318

150.90%

Cinema Ticket

$24.83 CHF 20.04

$4.92 MX$85.1

404.67%

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

$2,628 CHF 2,121

$201 MX$3,474

1208.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K CHF 28.0K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

571.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 106

$35.92 MX$622

267.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 CHF 55.1

$40.13 MX$694

70.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$177 CHF 143

$79.7 MX$1,379

121.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$226 CHF 182

$86.5 MX$1,496

161.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 CHF 1,172

$978 MX$16.9K

48.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 CHF 1,058

$470 MX$8,140

178.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 CHF 1,961

$1,651 MX$28.6K

47.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,657 CHF 2,144

$1,203 MX$20.8K

120.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.3K CHF 12.3K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

286.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

87.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,201 CHF 7,426

$677 MX$11.7K

1259.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,452 in Liestal versus $978 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 1260% 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 $106 in Liestal versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $658 vs $252 – 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 177%, 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 $5,230 per month in Liestal and $1,890 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 158% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,628 per month in Liestal and $201 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 $1,260, than in Liestal at $3,487. 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.