Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zermatt

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,441 in Zermatt, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Zermatt
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Zermatt Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Zermatt

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,441

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,441 in Zermatt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Zermatt $3,441

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,226 in Zermatt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Zermatt $5,226

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,010 in Zermatt, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Zermatt $7,010

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

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Zermatt is 153% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$29.72 CHF 24.66

-63.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$121 CHF 101

-64.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$18.42 CHF 15.28

-36.05%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$5.91 CHF 4.90

-35.53%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$5.40 CHF 4.48

-76.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$4.87 CHF 4.04

-83.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$8.92 CHF 7.40

-64.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.36 CHF 6.11

-33.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$2.21 CHF 1.84

-36.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$3.58 CHF 2.97

-37.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.71 CHF 3.08

-61.73%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$7.90 CHF 6.56

-68.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$26.11 CHF 21.66

-72.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$27.74 CHF 23.01

-72.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$40.83 CHF 33.87

-68.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.58 CHF 2.97

-22.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.06 CHF 1.71

-33.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.77 CHF 2.30

-7.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$4.64 CHF 3.85

-54.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.79 CHF 1.49

8.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$2.08 CHF 1.72

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.24 CHF 1.86

-48.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$1.25 CHF 1.04

-5.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$10.83 CHF 8.99

-60.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$12.94 CHF 10.74

-23.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.71 CHF 2.25

-41.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.21 CHF 2.67

-16.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$4.25 CHF 3.53

-87.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$101 CHF 83.5

-73.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$7.76 CHF 6.43

-35.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$4.63 CHF 3.84

-28.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$74.8 CHF 62.1

-92.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$2.28 CHF 1.89

-36.84%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

-47.39%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$39.7K CHF 32.9K

-40.91%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$281 CHF 233

-69.78%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$32.46 CHF 26.93

-27.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$56.9 CHF 47.17

-49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$87.8 CHF 72.9

-35.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$46.76 CHF 38.79

-38.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$23.47 CHF 19.47

-78.10%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$2,954 CHF 2,451

-93.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$32.4K CHF 26.9K

-87.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$139 CHF 115

-68.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$57.8 CHF 47.95

-28.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$162 CHF 135

-54.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$189 CHF 157

-52.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$2,219 CHF 1,841

-55.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,489 CHF 1,236

-74.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,968 CHF 2,462

-42.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$2,501 CHF 2,074

-57.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$16.6K CHF 13.8K

-76.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$12.5K CHF 10.4K

-50.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$9,590 CHF 7,956

-92.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.07

453.14%

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 Zermatt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Zermatt

$1.5K 43.3% 291% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Zermatt

$588 17.1% 131% $333

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Zermatt

$464 13.5% 130% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Zermatt

$370 10.8% 170% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Zermatt

$247 7.2% 121% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Zermatt

$135 3.9% 100% $67

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Zermatt

$148 4.3% 194% $98

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,219 in Zermatt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Zermatt are about 13 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 $121 in Zermatt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $588 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇭 Zermatt

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

16:49 4:49 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

5,800

💱 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 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 = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zermatt 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zermatt

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 Zermatt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zermatt is pricier by about 186%, 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 $5,162 in Zermatt. 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 $2,219 in Zermatt.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,441 in Zermatt. That’s a gap of about 186%.

Public transport costs about 74% 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 Zermatt at $3,441. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zermatt 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zermatt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.