Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaffhausen and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,139 in Schaffhausen, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Schaffhausen
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Schaffhausen Living Index
58

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

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Schaffhausen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,139

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Schaffhausen and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,139 per month in Schaffhausen vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Schaffhausen $3,139
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,010 per month in Schaffhausen vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Schaffhausen $5,010
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,882 per month in Schaffhausen vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Schaffhausen $6,882
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Schaffhausen costs about 161% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Schaffhausen sits 131% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.45 CHF 25.24

$10.92 MX$204

178.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$43.37 MX$810

181.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.19 CHF 15.08

$11.78 MX$220

54.41%

Cappuccino

$6.01 CHF 4.98

$3.81 MX$71.2

57.74%

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

$5.32 CHF 4.41

$1.28 MX$23.96

315.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 CHF 3.96

$0.78 MX$14.63

512.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 CHF 6.96

$3.17 MX$59.2

164.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CHF 5.89

$4.93 MX$92.2

44.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CHF 1.79

$1.41 MX$26.28

53.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 CHF 3.32

$2.22 MX$41.43

80.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CHF 3.52

$1.42 MX$26.48

199.30%

Eggs

$7.81 CHF 6.47

$2.52 MX$47.14

209.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.90 CHF 23.13

$7.26 MX$136

284.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.45 CHF 25.24

$7.70 MX$144

295.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.66 CHF 35.36

$12.69 MX$237

236.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CHF 3.18

$2.78 MX$52.0

38.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 CHF 1.72

$1.37 MX$25.56

51.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.63

$2.55 MX$47.66

24.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.49 CHF 4.55

$2.12 MX$39.67

158.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 CHF 1.97

$1.94 MX$36.22

22.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.77

$1.89 MX$35.24

13.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 CHF 1.91

$1.15 MX$21.42

100.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.96

$1.18 MX$22.03

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 CHF 8.97

$4.30 MX$80.3

151.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.00 CHF 9.94

$9.95 MX$186

20.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 CHF 2.40

$1.58 MX$29.59

82.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 CHF 2.97

$2.67 MX$49.91

34.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.32

$0.55 MX$10.34

629.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.0 CHF 81.2

$26.62 MX$497

268.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 CHF 5.06

$4.97 MX$92.9

22.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 CHF 2.37

$3.33 MX$62.2

-14.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 CHF 49.39

$5.36 MX$100

1011.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.84

$1.44 MX$26.98

54.17%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.8K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

85.60%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.7K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

67.98%

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

$229 CHF 190

$84.8 MX$1,584

170.42%

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

$28.98 CHF 24.02

$23.41 MX$437

23.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CHF 51.4

$28.66 MX$535

116.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$110 CHF 91.2

$57.1 MX$1,066

92.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 38.37

$28.91 MX$540

60.15%

Cinema Ticket

$23.59 CHF 19.55

$5.14 MX$96.0

358.95%

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

$3,157 CHF 2,616

$207 MX$3,860

1428.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K CHF 20.3K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

523.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$163 CHF 135

$43.35 MX$810

275.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 CHF 45.47

$41.44 MX$774

32.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$172 CHF 142

$74.2 MX$1,386

131.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 CHF 124

$89.3 MX$1,668

68.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CHF 1,054

$980 MX$18.3K

29.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 CHF 988

$381 MX$7,116

213.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,689 CHF 2,228

$1,708 MX$31.9K

57.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,317 CHF 1,921

$1,075 MX$20.1K

115.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 CHF 6,723

$3,943 MX$73.7K

105.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,439 CHF 6,995

$6,158 MX$115.1K

37.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,148 CHF 5,925

$735 MX$13.7K

873.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.41

11.45

-78.95%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Schaffhausen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Schaffhausen

$1.2K 38%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 68.1% $811

Groceries & Markets

Schaffhausen

$626 19.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 59.3% $371

Eating Out

Schaffhausen

$467 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 56.7% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaffhausen

$320 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 57.3% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Schaffhausen

$243 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 54% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Schaffhausen

$157 5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 57.2% $90

Getting Around

Schaffhausen

$134 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 62.5% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,272 in Schaffhausen versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Schaffhausen are about 9.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Schaffhausen versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $626 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Schaffhausen

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

06:07 6:07 AM

6 h behind Schaffhausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,927

149,923

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Schaffhausen Playa del Carmen 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Schaffhausen
Playa del Carmen

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

Schaffhausen vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Schaffhausen is pricier by about 161%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,709 per month in Schaffhausen and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,272 in Schaffhausen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,139 in Schaffhausen and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 161%.

Public transport costs about 73% 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 Schaffhausen at $3,139. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Schaffhausen 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, Schaffhausen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.