Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Glarus

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,297 in Glarus, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Glarus
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Glarus Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Glarus

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,297 in Glarus, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Glarus $3,297

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,996 in Glarus, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Glarus $4,996

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,696 in Glarus, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Glarus $6,696

Playa del Carmen is about 63% cheaper than Glarus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Glarus is 144% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$29.24 CHF 24.08

-63.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$122 CHF 100

-64.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$17.09 CHF 14.07

-31.01%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-34.18%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$3.76 CHF 3.10

-63.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$3.82 CHF 3.15

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$9.11 CHF 7.50

-65.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$6.26 CHF 5.15

-19.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$2.20 CHF 1.81

-34.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$3.14 CHF 2.58

-28.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.82 CHF 2.32

-47.87%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$7.70 CHF 6.34

-67.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$8.58 CHF 7.06

-14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$14.56 CHF 11.99

-46.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$37.65 CHF 31.01

-66.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$3.04 CHF 2.51

-4.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.55 CHF 1.27

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$2.40 CHF 1.98

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$5.41 CHF 4.46

-61.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.64 CHF 1.35

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$2.09 CHF 1.72

-3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-45.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$1.18 CHF 0.97

6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$11.00 CHF 9.06

-60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$11.23 CHF 9.25

-14.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-26.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.32 CHF 1.91

21.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$5.89 CHF 4.85

-90.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$221 CHF 182

-87.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$6.50 CHF 5.36

-23.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$4.71 CHF 3.88

-25.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$77.2 CHF 63.6

-93.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-32.57%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$34.3K CHF 28.3K

-38.86%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-39.60%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$311 CHF 256

-72.91%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$38.06 CHF 31.35

-36.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$53.5 CHF 44.03

-45.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$160 CHF 132

-60.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$41.77 CHF 34.40

-30.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$25.57 CHF 21.06

-80.68%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$2,254 CHF 1,857

-90.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$31.7K CHF 26.1K

-87.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$103 CHF 84.5

-57.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$41.84 CHF 34.46

3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$131 CHF 108

-42.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$96.4 CHF 79.4

-8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$1,676 CHF 1,380

-39.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$1,359 CHF 1,120

-72.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$2,950 CHF 2,430

-42.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$2,306 CHF 1,899

-52.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.1

445.24%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Glarus: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Glarus

$1.4K 41.3% 264% $985

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Glarus

$438 13.3% 69.4% $179

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Glarus

$444 13.5% 120% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Glarus

$402 12.2% 193% $265

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Glarus

$167 5.1% 48.2% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Glarus

$211 6.4% 189% $138

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Glarus

$274 8.3% 422% $222

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,676 in Glarus. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $122 in Glarus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $438 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Glarus

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

11:33 11:33 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

12,500

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Glarus 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Glarus

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 Glarus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Glarus is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,945 in Glarus. 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.

Public transport costs about 694% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,254 in Glarus. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Glarus at $3,297. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glarus 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, Glarus makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.