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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,188 in Lachen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,036 in Lachen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,885 in Lachen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 60% less than in Lachen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Lachen is 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$31.38 CHF 24.82

-61.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$146 CHF 115

-70.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$18.67 CHF 14.77

-43.28%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$6.17 CHF 4.88

-41.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$5.76 CHF 4.55

-74.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$5.22 CHF 4.13

-81.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.63 CHF 6.04

-59.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$6.97 CHF 5.51

-36.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.22 CHF 1.76

-35.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.70 CHF 2.14

-30.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.40 CHF 1.90

-32.08%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$8.09 CHF 6.40

-67.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$27.50 CHF 21.75

-70.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.52 CHF 11.48

-42.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$41.51 CHF 32.84

-73.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.12 CHF 2.47

-15.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.84 CHF 1.45

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.48 CHF 1.97

-19.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.79 CHF 3.79

-56.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.49 CHF 1.97

-28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.28 CHF 1.81

-4.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.58 CHF 2.04

-58.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.15 CHF 0.91

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$10.77 CHF 8.52

-63.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$11.98 CHF 9.48

-14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.19 CHF 1.73

-21.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.37 CHF 1.88

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$3.93 CHF 3.11

-86.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$97.2 CHF 76.8

-72.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$6.84 CHF 5.41

-54.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$4.17 CHF 3.30

-42.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$78.7 CHF 62.2

-96.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.11 CHF 1.67

-39.81%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$39.7K CHF 31.4K

-22.16%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$41.2K CHF 32.6K

-43.43%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$125 CHF 98.6

-34.18%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$59.8 CHF 47.31

-62.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$52.2 CHF 41.28

-43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$86.8 CHF 68.6

-40.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$22.21 CHF 17.57

-77.62%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$2,828 CHF 2,237

-93.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$35.0K CHF 27.7K

-84.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$123 CHF 97.4

-70.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$65.5 CHF 51.8

-38.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$158 CHF 125

-49.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$230 CHF 182

-61.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,667 CHF 1,318

-42.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$1,448 CHF 1,146

-67.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$2,852 CHF 2,256

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$2,452 CHF 1,940

-50.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$13.8K CHF 10.9K

-71.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$10.9K CHF 8,634

-40.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$10.0K CHF 7,942

-92.83%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lachen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,667 in Lachen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lachen pays 1294% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $146 in Lachen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $507 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 148% 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, Lachen earns 1294% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,667 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 260% less than in Lachen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,828 in Lachen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,188 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 $1,287 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 148% less than in Lachen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.