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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,973 per month in Olten vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,526 per month in Olten vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,078 per month in Olten vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Olten costs about 137% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Olten sits 123% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.25 CHF 25.31

$11.99 MX$209

160.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 CHF 83.2

$41.78 MX$728

145.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.04 CHF 13.81

$10.75 MX$187

58.51%

Cappuccino

$5.51 CHF 4.46

$3.50 MX$60.9

57.43%

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

$5.20 CHF 4.21

$1.45 MX$25.22

258.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 CHF 3.65

$0.88 MX$15.41

412.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 CHF 5.89

$2.95 MX$51.3

146.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 CHF 5.07

$4.51 MX$78.6

38.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.43 MX$24.94

44.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 CHF 2.77

$1.84 MX$31.99

85.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.30

$1.57 MX$27.31

159.87%

Eggs

$7.52 CHF 6.09

$2.51 MX$43.74

199.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.94 CHF 17.77

$8.28 MX$144

164.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.36 CHF 20.54

$8.43 MX$147

200.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.38 CHF 32.70

$10.68 MX$186

278.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.42

$2.61 MX$45.43

61.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.04

$1.44 MX$25.04

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.46

$1.96 MX$34.16

55.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 CHF 4.08

$2.09 MX$36.47

141.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.21

$1.85 MX$32.24

47.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.86

$2.17 MX$37.74

5.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.07

$1.03 MX$17.96

148.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CHF 1.21

$1.07 MX$18.70

39.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.01 CHF 8.92

$4.10 MX$71.4

168.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.29 CHF 10.76

$10.17 MX$177

30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 CHF 1.67

$1.68 MX$29.17

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CHF 1.97

$2.53 MX$43.98

-3.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.86 CHF 3.13

$0.51 MX$8.87

656.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.2 CHF 79.6

$26.04 MX$453

277.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 CHF 6.27

$3.23 MX$56.3

139.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$2.41 MX$41.88

74.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.7 CHF 50.8

$3.23 MX$56.2

1840.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.81

$1.32 MX$23.00

69.70%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.2K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

33.77%

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

$40.0K CHF 32.4K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

68.90%

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

$254 CHF 206

$82.0 MX$1,428

210.06%

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

$33.62 CHF 27.24

$22.95 MX$400

46.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.1 CHF 47.04

$30.11 MX$524

92.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 CHF 50.5

$52.0 MX$905

19.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.77 CHF 15.21

$18.53 MX$323

1.30%

Cinema Ticket

$25.09 CHF 20.32

$4.98 MX$86.6

403.82%

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

$3,456 CHF 2,799

$197 MX$3,438

1650.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.1K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

643.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 113

$35.60 MX$620

290.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.15

$40.33 MX$702

50.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 118

$78.8 MX$1,371

85.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 CHF 160

$88.9 MX$1,549

122.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 CHF 1,017

$947 MX$16.5K

32.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 CHF 849

$474 MX$8,254

121.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 CHF 1,585

$1,644 MX$28.6K

19.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 CHF 1,374

$1,211 MX$21.1K

40.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.8K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

259.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.1K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

92.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CHF 3,406

$654 MX$11.4K

543.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.42

-81.70%

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

Last update for Olten: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,256 in Olten versus $947 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 543% higher in Olten, 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 $103 in Olten versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $571 vs $249 – 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

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

Olten costs about 137% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,460 per month in Olten and $1,884 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.

Groceries cost about 130% more in Olten, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $103 in Olten and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Olten at $2,973. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Olten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,256 versus $2,973 in Olten. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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