Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baden

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,899 in Baden, rent and utilities included – about $32,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Baden
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Baden Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Baden

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Baden

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Baden actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,899 in Baden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Baden $3,899

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,615 in Baden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Baden $5,615

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,330 in Baden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Baden $7,330

Playa del Carmen is about 69% cheaper than Baden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Baden is 188% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$35.21 CHF 29.00

-69.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$126 CHF 103

-64.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$17.80 CHF 14.66

-33.93%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$6.30 CHF 5.19

-41.59%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$5.77 CHF 4.75

-76.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$5.48 CHF 4.51

-85.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$9.46 CHF 7.79

-67.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$8.55 CHF 7.05

-42.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.13 CHF 1.76

-30.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$3.36 CHF 2.77

-33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$3.74 CHF 3.08

-60.43%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$7.85 CHF 6.46

-68.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$27.17 CHF 22.38

-72.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$28.33 CHF 23.34

-71.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$47.08 CHF 38.78

-73.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.00 CHF 3.30

-30.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.85 CHF 2.35

-49.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.07 CHF 2.53

-14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$4.62 CHF 3.80

-53.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.47 CHF 2.04

-18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.41 CHF 1.99

-52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.27 CHF 1.05

-5.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$10.90 CHF 8.98

-60.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$11.90 CHF 9.80

-15.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.45 CHF 2.02

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.96 CHF 2.44

-10.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$3.55 CHF 2.93

-85.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$104 CHF 86.0

-73.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$7.79 CHF 6.42

-37.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$4.69 CHF 3.86

-26.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$88.8 CHF 73.1

-93.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$2.31 CHF 1.90

-37.23%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

-46.85%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$39.5K CHF 32.5K

-41.68%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$279 CHF 230

-69.42%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$47.17 CHF 38.85

-50.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$64.9 CHF 53.4

-56.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$155 CHF 128

-59.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$47.50 CHF 39.12

-39.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$23.54 CHF 19.38

-78.33%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$3,556 CHF 2,929

-94.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

-87.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$140 CHF 116

-68.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$78.7 CHF 64.8

-47.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$166 CHF 137

-56.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$202 CHF 166

-55.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,993 CHF 1,641

-50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,755 CHF 1,445

-78.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$3,436 CHF 2,830

-51.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,388 CHF 1,967

-54.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

-76.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$13.1K CHF 10.8K

-53.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$8,926 CHF 7,351

-91.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.42

373.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Baden: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Baden

$1.8K 45% 371% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Baden

$617 15.8% 139% $359

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Baden

$520 13.3% 160% $320

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Baden

$391 10% 185% $254

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Baden

$264 6.8% 137% $152

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Baden

$202 5.2% 180% $130

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Baden

$150 3.8% 190% $98

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,993 in Baden. 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 1110% higher in Baden, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $126 in Baden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $617 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Baden

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

19,168

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Baden 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Baden

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Baden is pricier by about 224%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $5,849 in Baden. 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 139% more in Baden, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $126 in Baden. 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 $1,204, than in Baden at $3,899. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baden 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, Baden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.