Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Liestal

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,252 in Liestal, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Liestal
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Liestal Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Liestal

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,252 in Liestal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Liestal $3,252

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,162 in Liestal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Liestal $5,162

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,071 in Liestal, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Liestal $7,071

Playa del Carmen is about 63% cheaper than Liestal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Liestal is 139% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$29.22 CHF 24.10

-62.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$120 CHF 99.1

-63.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$18.51 CHF 15.27

-36.36%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$6.26 CHF 5.16

-39.14%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$6.18 CHF 5.10

-79.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$5.88 CHF 4.85

-86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$8.97 CHF 7.40

-64.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$7.93 CHF 6.54

-37.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.22 CHF 1.83

-36.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.10 CHF 2.56

-28.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$3.35 CHF 2.76

-57.61%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$7.70 CHF 6.35

-67.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$24.34 CHF 20.08

-70.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$27.80 CHF 22.94

-72.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$39.05 CHF 32.21

-67.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.85 CHF 3.18

-27.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-39.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.81 CHF 2.32

-9.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$4.69 CHF 3.87

-54.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.68 CHF 1.39

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.99 CHF 1.64

-5.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.30 CHF 1.89

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.35 CHF 1.11

-12.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$11.48 CHF 9.47

-62.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$11.87 CHF 9.79

-16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-30.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.02 CHF 2.49

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$4.32 CHF 3.56

-87.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$103 CHF 85.1

-74.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$8.44 CHF 6.96

-41.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$4.68 CHF 3.86

-28.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$108 CHF 88.7

-95.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$2.39 CHF 1.97

-39.75%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$38.5K CHF 31.8K

-46.38%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$39.0K CHF 32.2K

-39.83%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$293 CHF 242

-71.05%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$28.40 CHF 23.43

-17.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$63.2 CHF 52.1

-54.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$85.3 CHF 70.4

-33.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$45.92 CHF 37.88

-37.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$24.00 CHF 19.79

-78.58%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$2,980 CHF 2,458

-93.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$30.6K CHF 25.2K

-87.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$140 CHF 115

-69.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$61.7 CHF 50.9

-32.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$159 CHF 131

-53.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$201 CHF 166

-55.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,759 CHF 1,451

-44.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$1,287 CHF 1,061

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$2,960 CHF 2,441

-42.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$2,567 CHF 2,117

-58.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

-75.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$12.3K CHF 10.1K

-49.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$9,109 CHF 7,514

-91.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.42

373.14%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Liestal: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Liestal

$1.3K 39.6% 238% $906

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Liestal

$570 17.5% 124% $315

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Liestal

$473 14.6% 134% $271

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Liestal

$385 11.8% 181% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Liestal

$253 7.8% 126% $141

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Liestal

$133 4.1% 98% $66

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Liestal

$152 4.7% 202% $102

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,759 in Liestal. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Liestal are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $120 in Liestal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $570 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Liestal

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

00:59 12:59 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

13,807

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Liestal 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Liestal

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 Liestal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Liestal is pricier by about 170%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,878 in Liestal. 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 $980 there versus $1,759 in Liestal.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,980 in Liestal. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Liestal at $3,252. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Liestal 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Liestal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.