Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rapperswil

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,330 in Rapperswil, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Rapperswil, Switzerland
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Rapperswil
🇨🇭 Switzerland
$3,330
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,330 in Rapperswil, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Rapperswil $3,330

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,029 in Rapperswil, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Rapperswil $5,029

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,729 in Rapperswil, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Rapperswil $6,729

Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper than Rapperswil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Rapperswil is 145% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$23.80 CHF 19.74
-54.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$95.5 CHF 79.3
-54.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$16.02 CHF 13.29
-26.47%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$6.08 CHF 5.04
-37.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$4.70 CHF 3.90
-72.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$4.82 CHF 4.00
-83.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$8.65 CHF 7.17
-63.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$6.00 CHF 4.98
-17.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$2.14 CHF 1.78
-34.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$3.39 CHF 2.81
-34.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$4.35 CHF 3.61
-67.36%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$7.80 CHF 6.47
-67.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$26.76 CHF 22.20
-72.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$26.19 CHF 21.73
-70.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$40.71 CHF 33.77
-68.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.60 CHF 2.99
-22.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$2.15 CHF 1.79
-36.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$2.62 CHF 2.17
-2.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$4.81 CHF 3.99
-55.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.04 CHF 1.69
-4.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$2.19 CHF 1.82
-13.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$2.32 CHF 1.92
-50.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$1.37 CHF 1.14
-13.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$10.74 CHF 8.91
-59.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$13.18 CHF 10.94
-24.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$2.25 CHF 1.87
-29.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$3.44 CHF 2.86
-22.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$4.37 CHF 3.62
-87.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$100.0 CHF 82.9
-73.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$7.56 CHF 6.27
-34.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$4.97 CHF 4.13
-33.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$88.3 CHF 73.3
-93.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$2.17 CHF 1.80
-33.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$39.6K CHF 32.8K
-47.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$38.9K CHF 32.3K
-39.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$237 CHF 196
-64.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$31.70 CHF 26.30
-26.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$65.1 CHF 54.0
-56.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$88.7 CHF 73.6
-35.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$45.22 CHF 37.52
-36.07%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$21.76 CHF 18.05
-76.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$2,879 CHF 2,389
-92.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$43.7K CHF 36.3K
-91.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$141 CHF 117
-69.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$88.1 CHF 73.0
-52.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$149 CHF 124
-50.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$174 CHF 144
-48.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$1,769 CHF 1,468
-44.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$1,478 CHF 1,226
-74.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$2,984 CHF 2,475
-42.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$2,524 CHF 2,094
-57.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$16.6K CHF 13.7K
-76.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$12.6K CHF 10.5K
-51.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Rapperswil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
-
-
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rapperswil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Rapperswil
$1.5K 288% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Rapperswil
$583 129% $329
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Rapperswil
$405 100% $202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Rapperswil
$333 144% $197
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Rapperswil
$248 122% $137
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Rapperswil
$132 96.4% $65
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Rapperswil
$150 197% $99

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,769 in Rapperswil. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $96 in Rapperswil. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $583 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇨🇭 Rapperswil
🕒 Local time
16:09 4:09 PM
22:09 10:09 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
26,354
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Rapperswil 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Rapperswil

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 Rapperswil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Rapperswil?
Yes – Rapperswil is pricier by about 177%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,995 in Rapperswil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,769 in Rapperswil.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Rapperswil?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,330 in Rapperswil. That makes Playa del Carmen about 64% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 73% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Rapperswil?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Rapperswil at $3,330. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rapperswil it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Rapperswil more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 64% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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