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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,538 in Glattfelden, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,319 in Glattfelden, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,100 in Glattfelden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper than Glattfelden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Glattfelden is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$30.91 CHF 25.40

-62.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$125 CHF 103

-62.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$18.88 CHF 15.51

-37.08%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$6.21 CHF 5.10

-35.91%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$5.33 CHF 4.38

-73.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$5.01 CHF 4.12

-83.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$9.29 CHF 7.64

-65.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$7.49 CHF 6.16

-9.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.26 CHF 1.85

-25.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$3.83 CHF 3.14

-42.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$3.73 CHF 3.07

-54.16%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$7.79 CHF 6.40

-64.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$26.87 CHF 22.08

-64.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$28.33 CHF 23.28

-68.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$40.95 CHF 33.65

-68.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.54 CHF 2.91

-18.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$2.12 CHF 1.74

-29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.71 CHF 2.22

-20.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$4.98 CHF 4.09

-54.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.83 CHF 1.51

8.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.15 CHF 1.77

-7.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-46.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.30 CHF 1.07

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$11.15 CHF 9.17

-59.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$13.34 CHF 10.97

-22.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.80 CHF 2.30

-42.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$3.09 CHF 2.54

-6.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$4.57 CHF 3.76

-86.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$102 CHF 84.1

-71.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$7.99 CHF 6.56

-32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$4.62 CHF 3.80

-19.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$79.0 CHF 65.0

-92.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-29.68%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$42.6K CHF 35.0K

-47.11%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$40.5K CHF 33.3K

-35.63%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$285 CHF 234

-67.93%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$33.27 CHF 27.34

-24.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$58.8 CHF 48.30

-46.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$92.1 CHF 75.7

-27.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$47.24 CHF 38.82

-38.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$23.81 CHF 19.56

-79.59%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$2,743 CHF 2,254

-91.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$34.8K CHF 28.6K

-87.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$146 CHF 120

-67.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$60.6 CHF 49.80

-26.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$165 CHF 135

-51.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$187 CHF 154

-50.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,732 CHF 1,423

-38.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$1,469 CHF 1,207

-73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$2,903 CHF 2,386

-25.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$2,506 CHF 2,060

-49.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$16.7K CHF 13.7K

-76.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

-46.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$5,662 CHF 4,653

-86.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.07

453.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Glattfelden: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,732 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 647% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $125 in Glattfelden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $600 – 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 180% 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $5,307 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $125 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $3,538 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 $1,266, than in Glattfelden at $3,538. 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 $1,266 versus $3,538 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.