Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mendrisio

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,064 in Mendrisio, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
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Mendrisio Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,064 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mendrisio $3,064

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,796 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Mendrisio $3,796

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,529 in Mendrisio, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Mendrisio $4,529

Playa del Carmen is about 61% cheaper than Mendrisio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Mendrisio is 125% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$34.70 CHF 28.62

-68.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$181 CHF 149

-76.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$19.12 CHF 15.77

-38.39%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$4.59 CHF 3.79

-16.99%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$5.57 CHF 4.60

-77.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$4.42 CHF 3.64

-82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$8.25 CHF 6.80

-61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$7.32 CHF 6.04

-32.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-35.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.73 CHF 3.08

-40.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$4.20 CHF 3.46

-66.19%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$7.08 CHF 5.84

-64.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$25.93 CHF 21.39

-72.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$28.45 CHF 23.47

-72.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$39.42 CHF 32.52

-67.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.22 CHF 2.65

-13.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.71 CHF 1.41

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.46 CHF 2.03

3.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$6.44 CHF 5.31

-67.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.85 CHF 1.53

4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.48 CHF 2.04

-53.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.23 CHF 1.01

-4.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$10.71 CHF 8.83

-59.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$14.56 CHF 12.01

-31.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-51.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$4.05 CHF 3.34

-34.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$3.19 CHF 2.63

-82.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$7.07 CHF 5.83

-29.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$5.71 CHF 4.71

-41.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$77.3 CHF 63.7

-93.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$2.24 CHF 1.85

-35.71%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

-46.74%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$39.1K CHF 32.3K

-40.00%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$305 CHF 251

-72.19%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$25.58 CHF 21.10

-8.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$48.83 CHF 40.28

-41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$71.3 CHF 58.8

-20.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$20.55 CHF 16.95

-74.99%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$3,250 CHF 2,681

-93.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$37.7K CHF 31.1K

-89.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$107 CHF 88.5

-59.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$48.74 CHF 40.21

-14.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$167 CHF 138

-55.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$171 CHF 141

-47.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,410 CHF 1,163

-30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$1,216 CHF 1,003

-68.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$6,773 CHF 5,587

-89.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.37

383.12%

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 Mendrisio: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.7% 219% $836

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Mendrisio

$599 19.6% 135% $344

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Mendrisio

$486 15.9% 140% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mendrisio

$379 12.4% 177% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mendrisio

$222 7.3% 99% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Mendrisio

$112 3.7% 67% $45

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Mendrisio

$48 * 1.6% 4.1% $2.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,410 in Mendrisio. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mendrisio are about 9.2 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 $181 in Mendrisio. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $599 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🕒 Local time

00:30 12:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

15,562

💱 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 2, 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 2, 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 Mendrisio 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mendrisio

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 Mendrisio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mendrisio is pricier by about 154%, 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 $4,595 in Mendrisio. 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 $1,410 in Mendrisio.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,064 in Mendrisio. That makes Playa del Carmen about 61% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,250 in Mendrisio. 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 Mendrisio at $3,064. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mendrisio 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, Mendrisio makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.