Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Schaan

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,281 in Schaan, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. The total is higher in Schaan despite lower rent and utilities.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Schaan

🇱🇮 Liechtenstein

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,281 in Schaan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Schaan $1,281

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,181 in Schaan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Schaan $2,181

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,082 in Schaan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Schaan $3,082

Playa del Carmen is about 6% cheaper than Schaan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Schaan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Schaan 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$27.20 CHF 22.57

-59.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$83.7 CHF 69.5

-48.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$14.59 CHF 12.10

-19.26%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$6.80 CHF 5.64

-43.97%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.93 CHF 2.43

-56.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$6.20 CHF 5.15

-87.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$4.94 CHF 4.10

-35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$3.61 CHF 3.00

36.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.95 CHF 1.62

-27.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$4.70 CHF 3.90

-52.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$5.78 CHF 4.79

-56.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$28.74 CHF 23.84

-74.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$24.42 CHF 20.25

-68.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$47.49 CHF 39.40

-73.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$8.51 CHF 7.06

-75.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$2.47 CHF 2.05

-52.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$12.29 CHF 10.20

-19.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.38 CHF 1.97

-76.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$2.46 CHF 2.04

-41.46%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$86.1 CHF 71.4

-1.50%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$32.04 CHF 26.58

-26.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$43.01 CHF 35.68

-33.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$122 CHF 101

-53.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$19.58 CHF 16.25

-73.75%

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,827 CHF 1,516

-46.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$3,052 CHF 2,532

-44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$9,554 CHF 7,926

-58.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$6,145 CHF 5,098

0.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$8,508 CHF 7,058

-91.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

186.25%

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 Schaan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Schaan

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Schaan

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Schaan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Schaan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Schaan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Schaan

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Schaan

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,827 in Schaan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Schaan 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 $84 in Schaan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $537 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇱🇮 Schaan

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

02:27 2:27 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

6,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 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 October 29, 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.83 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.924 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Schaan 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Schaan

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 Schaan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Schaan is pricier by about 6%, 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 $1,921 in Schaan. 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 $1,827 in Schaan.

Groceries cost about 111% more in Schaan, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $84 in Schaan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,281 in Schaan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,281 in Schaan. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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