Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zug

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $4,837 in Zug, rent and utilities included – about $43,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
236

Cost of Living Index in Zug
Learn more

Zug Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Zug

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,837

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,837 in Zug, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Zug $4,837

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,605 in Zug, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Zug $7,605

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $10.4K in Zug, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Zug $10.4K

Playa del Carmen is about 75% cheaper than Zug, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Zug is 257% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$202

$36.92 CHF 30.56

-70.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$820

$178 CHF 148

-75.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$218

$23.76 CHF 19.66

-50.51%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.3

$7.12 CHF 5.90

-48.31%

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

$1.34 MX$24.88

$6.16 CHF 5.10

-78.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.30

$6.03 CHF 4.99

-86.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.8

$9.45 CHF 7.82

-67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.6

$7.71 CHF 6.38

-35.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.27

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-32.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.10

$4.00 CHF 3.31

-44.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.43

$4.14 CHF 3.43

-64.25%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$46.17

$7.88 CHF 6.52

-68.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$27.44 CHF 22.71

-72.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$148

$31.40 CHF 25.99

-74.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$233

$41.61 CHF 34.44

-69.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.5

$3.72 CHF 3.08

-25.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.47

$1.95 CHF 1.62

-26.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.55

$2.83 CHF 2.34

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.64

$5.35 CHF 4.43

-60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.52

$2.04 CHF 1.69

-0.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.88

$2.21 CHF 1.83

-9.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.09

$2.40 CHF 1.99

-52.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.26

$1.33 CHF 1.10

-9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.0

$10.94 CHF 9.06

-61.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$186

$17.81 CHF 14.74

-43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.52

$2.95 CHF 2.44

-47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.36

$3.88 CHF 3.21

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.77

$4.88 CHF 4.04

-89.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$510

$161 CHF 133

-82.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.0

$8.84 CHF 7.32

-44.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.7

$6.17 CHF 5.11

-44.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.8

$36.93 CHF 30.56

-85.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.86

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-34.98%

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

$21.2K MX$392.5K

$38.5K CHF 31.8K

-44.99%

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

$23.0K MX$427.0K

$39.7K CHF 32.8K

-41.99%

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

$85.4 MX$1,583

$276 CHF 229

-69.13%

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

$23.46 MX$435

$38.12 CHF 31.55

-38.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$527

$61.7 CHF 51.1

-53.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,154

$121 CHF 99.9

-48.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$532

$32.40 CHF 26.81

-11.48%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.7

$23.71 CHF 19.62

-78.49%

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

$201 MX$3,730

$4,240 CHF 3,509

-95.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.2K

$35.1K CHF 29.0K

-88.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$823

$168 CHF 139

-73.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$767

$67.5 CHF 55.9

-38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,349

$154 CHF 127

-52.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,662

$272 CHF 225

-67.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.2K

$3,874 CHF 3,206

-74.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,914

$2,575 CHF 2,131

-85.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.2K

$6,833 CHF 5,655

-75.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.3K

$4,953 CHF 4,099

-77.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.3K

$31.1K CHF 25.7K

-87.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.8K

$21.2K CHF 17.5K

-71.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.7K

$7,434 CHF 6,153

-90.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

1.9

502.63%

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 Zug: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Zug

$2.6K 53.2% 591% $2.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Zug

$637 13.2% 146% $378

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Zug

$564 11.7% 182% $363

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Zug

$376 7.8% 174% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Zug

$297 6.2% 166% $186

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Zug

$168 3.5% 132% $96

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Zug

$220 4.5% 325% $168

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,874 in Zug. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Zug are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $178 in Zug. 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

🇨🇭 Zug

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

03:41 3:41 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

29,251

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.39 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 27, 2026: 1 USD = 18.55 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.927 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zug 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zug

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 Zug: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zug is pricier by about 302%, 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 $7,255 in Zug. 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 $979 there versus $3,874 in Zug.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $4,837 in Zug. That’s a gap of about 302%.

Public transport costs about 83% 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 Zug at $4,837. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zug 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, Zug makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.