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 $3,169 per month in Olten vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,940 per month in Olten vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,712 per month in Olten vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Olten costs about 145% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Olten sits 131% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.18 CHF 27.65

$11.71 MX$198

191.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 CHF 99.9

$46.59 MX$787

164.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.95 CHF 14.52

$11.65 MX$197

54.08%

Cappuccino

$6.59 CHF 5.33

$4.09 MX$69.2

61.12%

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

$5.56 CHF 4.50

$1.37 MX$23.23

305.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 CHF 4.46

$0.83 MX$14.09

565.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 CHF 7.56

$3.35 MX$56.7

178.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CHF 6.12

$6.91 MX$117

9.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.83

$1.73 MX$29.19

31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 CHF 3.22

$2.26 MX$38.20

76.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CHF 3.15

$1.77 MX$29.90

119.77%

Eggs

$8.76 CHF 7.09

$2.73 MX$46.18

220.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.96 CHF 21.00

$9.18 MX$155

182.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.37 CHF 22.14

$8.92 MX$151

206.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.48 CHF 38.42

$12.60 MX$213

276.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.44

$3.02 MX$51.1

40.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 CHF 2.29

$1.57 MX$26.54

80.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 CHF 2.48

$2.13 MX$35.92

44.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 CHF 3.93

$2.26 MX$38.27

115.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.17

$2.00 MX$33.87

34.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$2.06 MX$34.89

7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 2.01

$1.18 MX$19.94

111.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CHF 1.05

$1.20 MX$20.35

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.06 CHF 8.95

$4.63 MX$78.3

138.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 CHF 11.12

$10.69 MX$181

28.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 CHF 2.22

$1.62 MX$27.37

69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.55

$2.88 MX$48.69

9.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.41 CHF 4.37

$0.57 MX$9.69

849.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 CHF 88.6

$29.83 MX$504

266.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 CHF 6.67

$5.45 MX$92.1

51.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.80 CHF 3.88

$3.70 MX$62.6

29.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$90.3 CHF 73.0

$5.98 MX$101

1409.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.85

$1.55 MX$26.25

47.10%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

81.96%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.3K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

53.71%

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

$287 CHF 233

$89.1 MX$1,506

222.50%

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

$34.09 CHF 27.58

$25.04 MX$423

36.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.15 CHF 39.76

$31.50 MX$532

56.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.9 CHF 67.1

$67.8 MX$1,145

22.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$21.24 CHF 17.18

$5.05 MX$85.3

320.59%

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

$3,643 CHF 2,947

$225 MX$3,802

1519.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K CHF 34.6K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

913.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 115

$47.44 MX$802

200.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 CHF 48.88

$44.98 MX$760

34.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$168 CHF 136

$82.0 MX$1,386

104.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$219 CHF 178

$92.1 MX$1,556

138.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 CHF 1,020

$1,069 MX$18.1K

17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 CHF 856

$405 MX$6,850

161.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 CHF 1,605

$1,935 MX$32.7K

2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 CHF 1,581

$1,301 MX$22.0K

50.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 CHF 3,563

$749 MX$12.7K

488.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

11.45

-81.92%

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

Last update for Olten: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,260 in Olten versus $1,069 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 488% 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 $123 in Olten versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $631 vs $277 – 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 145% 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 $4,754 per month in Olten and $1,940 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 128% 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 $123 in Olten and $47.00 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 $1,293, than in Olten at $3,169. 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 $1,293 versus $3,169 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.