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 $3,484 per month in Liestal vs $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,412 per month in Liestal vs $2,189 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,339 per month in Liestal vs $3,084 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

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

Liestal sits 161% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.21 CHF 22.37

$11.73 MX$202

140.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 CHF 85.1

$41.78 MX$719

156.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.69 CHF 15.62

$10.41 MX$179

89.15%

Cappuccino

$5.73 CHF 4.54

$3.61 MX$62.1

58.73%

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

$4.74 CHF 3.76

$1.46 MX$25.06

224.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 CHF 3.84

$0.97 MX$16.70

398.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 CHF 6.74

$2.92 MX$50.3

191.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 CHF 4.80

$4.62 MX$79.5

31.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$1.43 MX$24.59

51.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 CHF 2.62

$1.90 MX$32.70

74.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.12 CHF 4.06

$1.57 MX$26.95

226.11%

Eggs

$7.79 CHF 6.18

$2.64 MX$45.34

195.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.79 CHF 22.04

$8.44 MX$145

229.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.99 CHF 28.54

$8.58 MX$148

319.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.56 CHF 32.17

$11.00 MX$189

268.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 3.03

$2.70 MX$46.51

41.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 CHF 2.15

$1.51 MX$25.92

79.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CHF 2.36

$1.91 MX$32.93

55.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.88 CHF 5.45

$2.17 MX$37.37

217.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 CHF 2.58

$1.87 MX$32.25

73.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.33

$2.23 MX$38.43

31.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CHF 2.08

$1.08 MX$18.60

142.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.95

$1.07 MX$18.47

11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.40 CHF 9.04

$4.16 MX$71.6

174.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 CHF 11.05

$10.29 MX$177

35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CHF 1.55

$1.68 MX$28.95

16.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.79

$2.53 MX$43.59

-10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 CHF 2.89

$0.55 MX$9.53

563.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 CHF 54.4

$26.29 MX$452

161.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.27

$3.20 MX$55.0

146.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.27 CHF 3.38

$2.46 MX$42.37

73.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$93.4 CHF 74.0

$3.20 MX$55.0

2817.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.72

$1.32 MX$22.72

64.39%

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

$40.8K CHF 32.3K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

35.27%

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

$49.0K CHF 38.9K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

109.43%

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

$379 CHF 301

$81.4 MX$1,400

366.24%

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

$54.4 CHF 43.11

$22.41 MX$386

142.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 47.36

$29.97 MX$516

99.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 68.4

$51.6 MX$887

67.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.5 CHF 47.99

$18.39 MX$316

228.98%

Cinema Ticket

$24.86 CHF 19.72

$5.16 MX$88.9

381.78%

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

$2,565 CHF 2,035

$202 MX$3,471

1171.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K CHF 27.7K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

557.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$131 CHF 104

$35.61 MX$613

269.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.8 CHF 53.8

$40.37 MX$695

68.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$179 CHF 142

$78.6 MX$1,353

127.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$232 CHF 184

$86.9 MX$1,495

167.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,487 CHF 1,179

$950 MX$16.3K

56.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 CHF 1,032

$478 MX$8,227

172.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CHF 1,921

$1,621 MX$27.9K

49.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 CHF 2,086

$1,223 MX$21.0K

115.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,500 CHF 6,741

$6,473 MX$111.4K

31.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,543 CHF 7,568

$673 MX$11.6K

1318.10%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,487 in Liestal versus $950 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 1318% 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 $107 in Liestal versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $656 vs $254 – 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 $5,226 per month in Liestal and $1,941 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 161% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,565 per month in Liestal and $202 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 $1,294, than in Liestal at $3,484. 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.