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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,458 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,285 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $7,113 in Lachen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 63% less than in Lachen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Lachen is 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$31.20 CHF 25.64

-62.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$124 CHF 102

-61.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$16.49 CHF 13.55

-27.96%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$6.38 CHF 5.24

-37.62%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$5.85 CHF 4.81

-75.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$5.30 CHF 4.36

-84.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$8.62 CHF 7.08

-62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$9.76 CHF 8.02

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-25.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$3.35 CHF 2.75

-34.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$4.36 CHF 3.58

-60.78%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$7.83 CHF 6.43

-65.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$27.28 CHF 22.42

-64.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$26.78 CHF 22.01

-66.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$41.44 CHF 34.05

-69.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$3.68 CHF 3.02

-21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$2.18 CHF 1.79

-31.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$2.67 CHF 2.19

-19.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$4.80 CHF 3.95

-52.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$2.03 CHF 1.66

-2.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$2.33 CHF 1.92

-14.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$2.40 CHF 1.97

-48.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$1.46 CHF 1.20

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$11.03 CHF 9.07

-58.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$13.50 CHF 11.09

-23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.83 CHF 2.32

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$4.64 CHF 3.81

-87.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$103 CHF 84.5

-72.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$7.92 CHF 6.51

-31.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$4.89 CHF 4.02

-23.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$88.2 CHF 72.4

-93.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$2.27 CHF 1.87

-32.16%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$42.9K CHF 35.3K

-47.48%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$40.6K CHF 33.4K

-35.83%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$242 CHF 199

-62.25%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$32.30 CHF 26.54

-21.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$67.0 CHF 55.1

-53.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$93.7 CHF 77.0

-28.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$47.12 CHF 38.72

-38.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$22.43 CHF 18.44

-78.33%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$2,859 CHF 2,349

-92.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$45.1K CHF 37.1K

-90.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$140 CHF 115

-66.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$91.1 CHF 74.9

-51.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$151 CHF 124

-47.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$174 CHF 143

-46.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,709 CHF 1,405

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$1,497 CHF 1,230

-73.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$2,971 CHF 2,441

-27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$2,630 CHF 2,161

-51.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$16.3K CHF 13.4K

-75.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

-46.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$10.0K CHF 8,232

-92.43%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Lachen: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,709 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1221% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $124 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $593 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 173% 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 1221% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,709 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 257% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,859 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,458 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 $1,266 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 173% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.