Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Staefa

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,334 in Staefa, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Staefa
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Staefa Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Staefa

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,334 in Staefa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Staefa $3,334

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,350 in Staefa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Staefa $5,350

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,365 in Staefa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Staefa $7,365

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

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Staefa is 146% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$32.82 CHF 27.03

-66.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$121 CHF 99.3

-63.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$16.37 CHF 13.49

-28.16%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$6.22 CHF 5.12

-40.84%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$5.88 CHF 4.84

-77.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$5.00 CHF 4.12

-83.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$8.26 CHF 6.80

-62.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$8.41 CHF 6.93

-41.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$3.45 CHF 2.84

-35.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$3.77 CHF 3.11

-60.74%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$8.37 CHF 6.90

-70.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$26.91 CHF 22.17

-72.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$25.91 CHF 21.34

-69.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$55.2 CHF 45.46

-77.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.47 CHF 2.86

-19.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.75 CHF 2.27

-48.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.58 CHF 2.95

-26.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$4.48 CHF 3.69

-52.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$2.49 CHF 2.05

-18.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.28 CHF 1.88

-12.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.48 CHF 2.05

-54.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.29 CHF 1.06

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$10.79 CHF 8.88

-60.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$13.68 CHF 11.27

-26.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.74 CHF 2.26

-43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.21 CHF 2.64

-17.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$4.37 CHF 3.60

-87.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$100 CHF 82.5

-72.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$7.40 CHF 6.10

-33.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$4.73 CHF 3.89

-27.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$87.0 CHF 71.7

-93.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$2.34 CHF 1.93

-38.03%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-46.59%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$39.5K CHF 32.5K

-41.70%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$236 CHF 194

-63.83%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$31.65 CHF 26.06

-25.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$56.5 CHF 46.52

-49.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$79.0 CHF 65.1

-21.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$44.96 CHF 37.03

-36.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$22.08 CHF 18.18

-76.90%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$2,812 CHF 2,316

-92.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$42.2K CHF 34.7K

-90.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$138 CHF 113

-67.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$59.9 CHF 49.37

-31.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$147 CHF 121

-50.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$171 CHF 141

-47.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,581 CHF 1,302

-38.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,382 CHF 1,138

-73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,894 CHF 2,383

-41.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,779 CHF 2,289

-60.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$17.3K CHF 14.3K

-77.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$14.1K CHF 11.6K

-56.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

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 17, 2026

Last update for Staefa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Staefa

$1.4K 41.4% 271% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Staefa

$637 19.1% 146% $378

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Staefa

$488 14.6% 144% $288

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Staefa

$324 9.7% 136% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Staefa

$232 7% 108% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Staefa

$123 3.7% 70.2% $51

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Staefa

$149 4.5% 188% $97

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,581 in Staefa. 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $121 in Staefa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $637 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Staefa

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

14:31 2:31 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

11,567

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Staefa 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Staefa

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 Staefa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Staefa is pricier by about 177%, 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 $5,002 in Staefa. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,334 in Staefa. That's a gap of about 177%.

Public transport costs about 264% 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 Staefa at $3,334. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staefa 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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