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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,248 in Balzers.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,137 in Balzers.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,026 in Balzers.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 60% less than in Balzers, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Balzers is 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$31.24 CHF 24.71

-61.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$122 CHF 96.4

-64.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$22.08 CHF 17.46

-52.04%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$5.43 CHF 4.29

-33.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$6.13 CHF 4.85

-76.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$5.39 CHF 4.27

-82.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.59 CHF 6.00

-59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$7.56 CHF 5.98

-41.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.77 CHF 2.19

-48.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.16 CHF 2.50

-40.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.75 CHF 2.17

-40.73%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$11.95 CHF 9.45

-77.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$26.28 CHF 20.79

-68.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$24.30 CHF 19.22

-65.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$50.7 CHF 40.09

-78.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.38 CHF 2.67

-21.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$3.91 CHF 3.09

-61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.01 CHF 3.17

-50.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.53 CHF 2.00

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-25.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.07 CHF 1.63

5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.10 CHF 1.66

-48.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.61 CHF 1.27

-35.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$12.34 CHF 9.76

-67.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$14.23 CHF 11.26

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.03 CHF 1.61

-14.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.82 CHF 1.44

37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$3.59 CHF 2.84

-85.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$82.7 CHF 65.4

-67.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.75 CHF 1.39

79.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$8.86 CHF 7.01

-65.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.29 CHF 1.81

-44.54%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.5K CHF 28.1K

-13.11%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$32.8K CHF 25.9K

-28.89%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$220 CHF 174

-62.75%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$40.02 CHF 31.65

-43.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$74.4 CHF 58.8

-60.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$92.1 CHF 72.8

-43.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$24.19 CHF 19.13

-22.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$24.70 CHF 19.54

-79.88%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$306 CHF 242

-35.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$9,085 CHF 7,186

-41.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$132 CHF 104

-72.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$51.6 CHF 40.82

-22.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$177 CHF 140

-54.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$230 CHF 182

-61.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,010 CHF 799

-4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$1,316 CHF 1,041

-64.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$2,872 CHF 2,272

-44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$2,383 CHF 1,885

-49.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$17.1K CHF 13.5K

-76.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$5,494 CHF 4,346

17.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$9,182 CHF 7,263

-92.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.55

51.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Balzers: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,010 in Balzers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balzers pays 1175% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $122 in Balzers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $621 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 152% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Balzers earns 1175% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,010 in Balzers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 148% 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 $43.00 versus $122 in Balzers. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,248 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.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Balzers, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Balzers are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Balzers. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.