Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and St. Gallen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 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
167

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,451

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in St. Gallen

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,451 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
St. Gallen $3,451

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,120 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
St. Gallen $5,120

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,789 in St. Gallen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
St. Gallen $6,789

Playa del Carmen is about 65% cheaper than St. Gallen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while St. Gallen is 154% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$28.78 CHF 23.74

-62.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$144 CHF 119

-69.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$18.04 CHF 14.88

-34.70%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$6.03 CHF 4.97

-36.82%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$5.95 CHF 4.91

-78.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$5.10 CHF 4.21

-84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$8.80 CHF 7.26

-63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$6.38 CHF 5.26

-22.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$2.25 CHF 1.86

-37.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$3.16 CHF 2.61

-29.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$3.77 CHF 3.11

-62.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$7.72 CHF 6.36

-67.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$24.91 CHF 20.55

-70.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$29.02 CHF 23.94

-73.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$39.94 CHF 32.94

-68.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.06 CHF 2.52

-9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.56 CHF 1.28

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.40 CHF 1.98

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$6.17 CHF 5.09

-65.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.71 CHF 1.41

13.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.14 CHF 1.76

-11.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.20 CHF 1.82

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.18 CHF 0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$10.98 CHF 9.06

-60.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$11.23 CHF 9.26

-11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-24.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.28 CHF 1.88

17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$4.08 CHF 3.36

-86.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$86.4 CHF 71.2

-69.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$6.62 CHF 5.46

-24.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$4.76 CHF 3.93

-30.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$79.2 CHF 65.3

-93.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-35.43%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$38.4K CHF 31.6K

-46.15%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

-39.21%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$312 CHF 257

-72.83%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$37.60 CHF 31.01

-37.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$54.0 CHF 44.50

-46.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$79.6 CHF 65.6

-28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$28.27 CHF 23.32

-81.82%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$2,308 CHF 1,904

-91.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$32.2K CHF 26.5K

-87.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$144 CHF 119

-70.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$64.0 CHF 52.8

-35.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$146 CHF 120

-49.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$183 CHF 151

-51.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,895 CHF 1,563

-48.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$1,504 CHF 1,240

-74.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$2,868 CHF 2,366

-40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$2,256 CHF 1,860

-52.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$11.3K CHF 9,283

-64.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$8,285 CHF 6,833

-25.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$6,694 CHF 5,521

-89.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.1

445.24%

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 St. Gallen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

St. Gallen

$1.5K 43.6% 295% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

St. Gallen

$575 16.7% 126% $320

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

St. Gallen

$458 13.3% 126% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

St. Gallen

$404 11.7% 195% $267

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

St. Gallen

$242 7% 117% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

St. Gallen

$136 3.9% 102% $69

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

St. Gallen

$133 3.9% 164% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,895 in St. Gallen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in St. Gallen are about 9.1 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 $144 in St. Gallen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $575 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

02:59 2:59 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

78,213

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 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 = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 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 St. Gallen 8,800 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
St. Gallen

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 St. Gallen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Gallen is pricier by about 187%, 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 $5,177 in St. Gallen. 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 $1,895 in St. Gallen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,451 in St. Gallen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 65% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in St. Gallen at $3,451. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Gallen 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, St. Gallen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.