Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Balzers

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,201 in Balzers, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Balzers
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Balzers Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Balzers

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$3,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Balzers actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,201 in Balzers.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Balzers $3,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,015 in Balzers.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Balzers $5,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,828 in Balzers.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Balzers $6,828

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 62% less than in Balzers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Balzers is 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$29.80 CHF 24.57

-63.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$122 CHF 101

-64.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$21.58 CHF 17.80

-45.41%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$5.38 CHF 4.44

-29.18%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$5.97 CHF 4.93

-78.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$5.45 CHF 4.50

-85.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$7.16 CHF 5.91

-55.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$7.46 CHF 6.15

-33.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$2.74 CHF 2.26

-48.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$2.94 CHF 2.43

-24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.80 CHF 2.31

-49.29%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$11.95 CHF 9.86

-78.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$25.34 CHF 20.90

-71.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$23.48 CHF 19.37

-67.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$50.6 CHF 41.74

-74.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.41 CHF 2.81

-18.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$3.64 CHF 3.01

-62.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.59 CHF 2.14

-18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.35 CHF 1.94

-17.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-11.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.06 CHF 1.70

-44.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.66 CHF 1.37

-28.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$12.08 CHF 9.96

-64.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$13.81 CHF 11.39

-27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.02 CHF 1.66

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.71 CHF 1.41

56.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-84.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$81.1 CHF 66.9

-67.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.74 CHF 1.43

185.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$5.90 CHF 4.87

-43.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$8.36 CHF 6.89

-35.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-35.71%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

-39.37%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

-27.56%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$212 CHF 175

-59.95%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$40.00 CHF 32.99

-41.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$71.4 CHF 58.9

-59.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$91.1 CHF 75.2

-37.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$24.38 CHF 20.11

18.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$24.13 CHF 19.90

-78.70%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$298 CHF 246

-30.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$8,878 CHF 7,322

-55.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$127 CHF 105

-65.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$50.4 CHF 41.56

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$174 CHF 143

-57.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$218 CHF 180

-59.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$987 CHF 814

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$1,282 CHF 1,058

-70.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$2,864 CHF 2,362

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$2,315 CHF 1,909

-53.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-75.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$5,142 CHF 4,241

19.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$8,481 CHF 6,995

-91.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

7.55

51.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balzers: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Balzers

$1.3K 40.1% 237% $901

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Balzers

$610 19.1% 139% $355

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Balzers

$464 14.5% 129% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Balzers

$323 10.1% 136% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Balzers

$256 8% 129% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Balzers

$139 4.4% 107% $72

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Balzers

$126 4% 151% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $987 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $122 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $610 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇮 Balzers

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

14:53 2:53 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

4,600

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.92 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Balzers 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Balzers

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 Balzers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $987 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 139% higher in Balzers. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $122 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,201 in Balzers, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Balzers. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Balzers on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.