Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Buchs

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,009 in Buchs, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Buchs
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Buchs Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Buchs

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,009 in Buchs.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Buchs $3,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,535 in Buchs.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Buchs $4,535

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,062 in Buchs.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Buchs $6,062

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 60% less than in Buchs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Buchs is 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$23.43 CHF 19.30

-53.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$84.3 CHF 69.4

-47.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$15.36 CHF 12.65

-23.44%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.71 CHF 3.88

-21.87%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$3.77 CHF 3.10

-64.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$3.20 CHF 2.63

-74.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$6.13 CHF 5.04

-50.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$5.39 CHF 4.44

-8.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.01 CHF 1.66

-26.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$3.94 CHF 3.24

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$4.64 CHF 3.82

-68.10%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$7.32 CHF 6.03

-65.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$32.21 CHF 26.53

-76.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$18.51 CHF 15.24

-57.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$32.47 CHF 26.74

-61.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.53 CHF 2.91

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-33.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.14 CHF 2.59

-16.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$6.70 CHF 5.52

-68.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.78 CHF 1.46

13.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.54 CHF 2.10

-21.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.44 CHF 2.01

-53.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.21 CHF 1.00

-0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$10.84 CHF 8.92

-60.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$12.70 CHF 10.46

-21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-53.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.91 CHF 3.22

-31.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$5.17 CHF 4.25

-89.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$5.36 CHF 4.42

-8.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$3.46 CHF 2.85

-0.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$61.2 CHF 50.4

-91.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-34.98%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$42.5K CHF 35.0K

-50.27%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-41.83%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$184 CHF 152

-53.71%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$31.24 CHF 25.73

-24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$67.2 CHF 55.4

-57.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$15.20 CHF 12.52

-66.45%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$611 CHF 503

-67.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$20.7K CHF 17.0K

-80.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$107 CHF 88.0

-58.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$23.70 CHF 19.52

74.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$95.2 CHF 78.4

-23.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$170 CHF 140

-47.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,828 CHF 1,505

-46.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,561 CHF 1,285

-76.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,690 CHF 2,216

-37.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,746 CHF 2,261

-60.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$8,480 CHF 6,984

-91.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.93

493.26%

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 Buchs: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Buchs

$1.6K 51.9% 319% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Buchs

$555 18.4% 115% $296

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Buchs

$359 11.9% 79.5% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Buchs

$283 9.4% 106% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Buchs

$178 5.9% 59.4% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Buchs

$30 * 1% 58% $42

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Buchs

$43 * 1.4% 16.2% $8.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,828 in Buchs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buchs pays 1050% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $84.0 in Buchs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $555 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Buchs

🕒 Local time

04:32 4:32 AM

11:32 11:32 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

12,187

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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

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Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
Buchs

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 Buchs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Buchs differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $3,009 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1050% lower in Buchs. 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,828 in Buchs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $611 in Buchs. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $84.0 in Buchs. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,009 in Buchs, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Buchs. 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Buchs 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 150% less than in Buchs. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.