Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kriens

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,154 in Kriens, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Kriens
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Kriens Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Kriens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,154 in Kriens, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Kriens $3,154

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,836 in Kriens, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kriens $4,836

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,518 in Kriens, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Kriens $6,518

Playa del Carmen is about 62% cheaper than Kriens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Kriens is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$29.66 CHF 24.30

-64.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$106 CHF 86.8

-58.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$18.11 CHF 14.84

-34.90%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$5.92 CHF 4.85

-35.98%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$5.13 CHF 4.21

-74.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$4.78 CHF 3.92

-82.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$6.05 CHF 4.96

-47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$7.17 CHF 5.88

-31.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$2.06 CHF 1.69

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$3.68 CHF 3.02

-40.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$2.72 CHF 2.23

-45.96%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$7.91 CHF 6.48

-68.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$27.84 CHF 22.81

-73.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$31.26 CHF 25.62

-74.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$41.79 CHF 34.24

-69.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$3.00 CHF 2.46

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.80 CHF 1.48

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$2.46 CHF 2.02

1.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$5.44 CHF 4.46

-62.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$1.75 CHF 1.43

15.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$2.05 CHF 1.68

-7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$2.28 CHF 1.87

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$1.36 CHF 1.12

-8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$10.91 CHF 8.94

-60.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$10.20 CHF 8.36

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$2.59 CHF 2.12

-38.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$2.84 CHF 2.33

-3.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

$4.51 CHF 3.69

-88.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

$87.4 CHF 71.7

-68.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$7.13 CHF 5.84

-33.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$5.94 CHF 4.87

-45.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$36.66 CHF 30.04

-85.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$2.40 CHF 1.96

-36.25%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$39.9K CHF 32.7K

-46.82%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$39.2K CHF 32.1K

-40.70%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$124 CHF 102

-32.59%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$37.81 CHF 30.98

-38.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$56.9 CHF 46.65

-51.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$73.9 CHF 60.6

-23.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$40.83 CHF 33.46

-30.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$21.90 CHF 17.94

-77.17%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$3,213 CHF 2,633

-93.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$41.4K CHF 33.9K

-87.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$90.1 CHF 73.9

-51.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$68.8 CHF 56.4

-38.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$110 CHF 89.9

-33.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$172 CHF 141

-48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,965 CHF 1,610

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$1,428 CHF 1,170

-73.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$2,559 CHF 2,097

-34.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$2,380 CHF 1,950

-54.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

$13.4K CHF 11.0K

-70.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

$9,706 CHF 7,953

-36.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.9

502.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kriens: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Kriens

$1.4K 45.3% 273% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Kriens

$602 19.1% 134% $344

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Kriens

$447 14.2% 123% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Kriens

$219 6.9% 62.8% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Kriens

$198 6.3% 78.4% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Kriens

$118 3.7% 77.2% $51

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kriens

$142 4.5% 182% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,965 in Kriens. 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $106 in Kriens. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $602 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Kriens

🕒 Local time

01:33 1:33 AM

07:33 7:33 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

25,932

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.75 EUR

1 CHF = 1.22 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.819 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.916 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kriens 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kriens

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 Kriens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kriens costs about 162% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,730 in Kriens. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,965 in Kriens.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,213 in Kriens. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 134% more in Kriens, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Kriens at $3,154. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kriens 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 62% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.