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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,445 in Glattfelden, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,288 in Glattfelden, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,131 in Glattfelden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 63% cheaper than Glattfelden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Glattfelden is 156% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$30.54 CHF 24.25

-61.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$141 CHF 112

-69.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$18.54 CHF 14.72

-42.56%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$6.10 CHF 4.84

-43.44%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$5.40 CHF 4.29

-72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$4.92 CHF 3.90

-80.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$8.21 CHF 6.52

-63.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$7.55 CHF 6.00

-38.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.15 CHF 1.71

-35.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.57 CHF 2.83

-48.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$4.13 CHF 3.28

-61.02%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$7.49 CHF 5.94

-65.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$29.28 CHF 23.24

-71.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$33.92 CHF 26.93

-75.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$47.34 CHF 37.58

-77.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.82 CHF 3.04

-31.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.22 CHF 1.77

-32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.99 CHF 2.37

-35.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$6.15 CHF 4.89

-66.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.50 CHF 1.99

-25.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.43 CHF 1.93

-7.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.51 CHF 2.00

-57.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.34 CHF 1.06

-18.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$10.93 CHF 8.67

-62.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$13.42 CHF 10.66

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.38 CHF 1.89

-27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.33 CHF 2.64

-21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$4.01 CHF 3.19

-86.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$99.3 CHF 78.9

-72.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$7.77 CHF 6.17

-59.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$4.22 CHF 3.35

-40.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$80.1 CHF 63.6

-96.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.17 CHF 1.72

-41.47%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$40.7K CHF 32.3K

-25.46%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$41.5K CHF 32.9K

-43.18%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$258 CHF 205

-67.79%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$48.65 CHF 38.63

-53.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$58.8 CHF 46.66

-49.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$87.1 CHF 69.1

-41.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$22.37 CHF 17.76

-77.96%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$2,902 CHF 2,304

-93.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$35.1K CHF 27.9K

-84.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$138 CHF 110

-73.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$69.0 CHF 54.8

-42.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$151 CHF 120

-47.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$185 CHF 147

-51.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,695 CHF 1,345

-43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$1,486 CHF 1,180

-67.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$2,813 CHF 2,234

-41.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$2,417 CHF 1,918

-49.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$18.6K CHF 14.8K

-78.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$10.9K CHF 8,630

-40.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$5,595 CHF 4,442

-88.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

2.5

356.80%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Glattfelden: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,695 in Glattfelden. 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 739% higher in Glattfelden, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $141 in Glattfelden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $662 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Glattfelden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glattfelden costs about 171% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $5,167 in Glattfelden. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $141 in Glattfelden. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $3,445 in Glattfelden. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Glattfelden at $3,445. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glattfelden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,271 versus $3,445 in Glattfelden. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Glattfelden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.