Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Lachen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,516 in Lachen, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Lachen
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Lachen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Lachen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,516

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,516 in Lachen.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Lachen $3,516

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,284 in Lachen.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Lachen $5,284

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,052 in Lachen.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Lachen $7,052

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 66% less than in Lachen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Lachen is 160% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$33.64 CHF 27.46

-68.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$124 CHF 101

-64.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$16.24 CHF 13.26

-27.40%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$6.30 CHF 5.15

-39.84%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$5.67 CHF 4.63

-77.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$5.08 CHF 4.15

-83.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$8.64 CHF 7.05

-63.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$9.61 CHF 7.85

-48.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.18 CHF 1.78

-35.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$3.42 CHF 2.79

-35.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$4.43 CHF 3.61

-66.82%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$7.62 CHF 6.22

-67.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$26.92 CHF 21.98

-72.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$26.45 CHF 21.60

-69.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$40.42 CHF 33.00

-68.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$3.64 CHF 2.97

-20.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$2.08 CHF 1.70

-33.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$2.71 CHF 2.21

-8.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$4.75 CHF 3.88

-57.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.98 CHF 1.62

2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.20 CHF 1.80

-13.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.45 CHF 2.00

-53.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$1.42 CHF 1.16

-12.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$10.83 CHF 8.84

-60.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$13.20 CHF 10.78

-25.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$2.89 CHF 2.36

-44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$3.48 CHF 2.84

-20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$4.23 CHF 3.46

-87.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$86.3 CHF 70.5

-68.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$8.19 CHF 6.69

-41.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$4.75 CHF 3.88

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$87.0 CHF 71.1

-93.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-32.89%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$40.1K CHF 32.7K

-47.09%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$39.0K CHF 31.9K

-40.39%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$240 CHF 196

-65.17%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$31.91 CHF 26.05

-27.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$65.5 CHF 53.4

-57.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$85.2 CHF 69.6

-33.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$48.54 CHF 39.63

-41.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$21.89 CHF 17.87

-77.16%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$2,982 CHF 2,434

-93.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$37.3K CHF 30.5K

-85.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$142 CHF 116

-69.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$89.7 CHF 73.2

-52.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$147 CHF 120

-50.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$175 CHF 143

-49.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,855 CHF 1,515

-46.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,578 CHF 1,289

-75.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$2,967 CHF 2,422

-43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,518 CHF 2,056

-57.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$14.9K CHF 12.2K

-73.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$11.1K CHF 9,072

-44.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$9,845 CHF 8,038

-91.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.72

565.70%

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 Lachen: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Lachen

$1.6K 44.9% 313% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Lachen

$589 16.7% 129% $331

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Lachen

$499 14.2% 149% $299

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Lachen

$337 9.6% 151% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Lachen

$249 7.1% 124% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Lachen

$129 3.7% 94.2% $63

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Lachen

$135 3.9% 168% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,855 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $124 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $589 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Lachen

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

09:51 9:51 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

9,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.816 CHF (1 CHF = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.917 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Lachen 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Lachen

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 Lachen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 66% 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 92% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,855 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 68% less than in Lachen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,982 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,516 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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.