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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,223 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,987 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,751 in Lachen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 61% less than in Lachen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Lachen is 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$30.67 CHF 24.75

-61.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$150 CHF 121

-72.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$18.67 CHF 15.06

-43.71%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$6.38 CHF 5.15

-43.73%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$5.86 CHF 4.73

-74.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$5.18 CHF 4.18

-82.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$7.64 CHF 6.16

-61.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$7.26 CHF 5.86

-39.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.20 CHF 1.78

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.60 CHF 2.10

-27.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.43 CHF 1.96

-35.80%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$8.05 CHF 6.49

-67.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$27.39 CHF 22.11

-69.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$14.51 CHF 11.71

-42.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$40.46 CHF 32.65

-73.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.21 CHF 2.59

-15.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.84 CHF 1.49

-17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.42 CHF 1.95

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.98 CHF 4.02

-56.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.50 CHF 2.02

-25.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.36 CHF 1.91

-5.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$2.58 CHF 2.08

-58.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.15 CHF 0.93

-5.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$10.68 CHF 8.62

-60.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$13.14 CHF 10.60

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.26 CHF 1.83

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.37 CHF 1.91

10.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$4.01 CHF 3.24

-86.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$99.6 CHF 80.4

-73.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$6.77 CHF 5.46

-54.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$4.32 CHF 3.48

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$81.6 CHF 65.9

-96.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.19 CHF 1.77

-40.18%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

-27.07%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$40.8K CHF 32.9K

-42.85%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$123 CHF 99.6

-34.14%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$59.5 CHF 48.02

-62.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$53.5 CHF 43.17

-43.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$88.2 CHF 71.2

-40.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$44.18 CHF 35.65

-58.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$21.73 CHF 17.54

-77.36%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$2,818 CHF 2,274

-92.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$35.0K CHF 28.3K

-85.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$122 CHF 98.2

-70.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$64.8 CHF 52.3

-38.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$156 CHF 126

-48.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$234 CHF 189

-62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$1,721 CHF 1,389

-43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$1,469 CHF 1,186

-67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$2,799 CHF 2,259

-41.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$2,505 CHF 2,022

-51.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$14.8K CHF 11.9K

-73.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$12.0K CHF 9,667

-44.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$9,688 CHF 7,818

-93.02%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lachen: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,721 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1332% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $150 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $506 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 156% lower than in Lachen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1332% lower in Lachen. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,721 in Lachen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 281% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,818 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,223 in Lachen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lachen. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Lachen 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 156% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.