Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

167

Cost of Living Index in St. Gallen
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St. Gallen Living Index
58

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

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St. Gallen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,451

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

St. Gallen costs about 187% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.78 CHF 23.74

$10.92 MX$205

163.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$144 CHF 119

$43.37 MX$814

231.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.04 CHF 14.88

$11.78 MX$221

53.14%

Cappuccino

$6.03 CHF 4.97

$3.81 MX$71.5

58.27%

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

$5.95 CHF 4.91

$1.28 MX$24.07

364.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 CHF 4.21

$0.78 MX$14.70

553.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.80 CHF 7.26

$3.17 MX$59.5

177.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.26

$4.93 MX$92.7

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$1.41 MX$26.40

59.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 CHF 2.61

$2.22 MX$41.62

42.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CHF 3.11

$1.42 MX$26.61

165.49%

Eggs

$7.72 CHF 6.36

$2.52 MX$47.36

206.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.91 CHF 20.55

$7.26 MX$136

243.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.02 CHF 23.94

$7.70 MX$144

276.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.94 CHF 32.95

$12.69 MX$238

214.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 CHF 2.52

$2.78 MX$52.3

10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CHF 1.28

$1.37 MX$25.68

13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 CHF 1.98

$2.55 MX$47.89

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.17 CHF 5.09

$2.12 MX$39.86

191.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 CHF 1.41

$1.94 MX$36.39

-11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CHF 1.76

$1.89 MX$35.41

13.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 CHF 1.82

$1.15 MX$21.53

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CHF 0.97

$1.18 MX$22.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 CHF 9.06

$4.30 MX$80.6

155.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 CHF 9.27

$9.95 MX$187

12.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.58 MX$29.73

32.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CHF 1.88

$2.67 MX$50.1

-14.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.08 CHF 3.37

$0.55 MX$10.39

641.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 CHF 71.3

$26.62 MX$500

224.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 CHF 5.46

$4.97 MX$93.3

33.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.76 CHF 3.93

$3.33 MX$62.5

42.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 CHF 65.3

$5.36 MX$101

1377.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.84

$1.44 MX$27.11

54.86%

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

$38.4K CHF 31.7K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

85.69%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

64.49%

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

$312 CHF 257

$84.8 MX$1,592

268.02%

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

$37.60 CHF 31.01

$23.41 MX$439

60.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 CHF 44.50

$28.66 MX$538

88.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.6 CHF 65.6

$57.1 MX$1,071

39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$28.27 CHF 23.32

$5.14 MX$96.5

450.00%

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

$2,308 CHF 1,904

$207 MX$3,878

1017.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K CHF 26.6K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

719.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$144 CHF 119

$43.35 MX$814

233.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.0 CHF 52.8

$41.44 MX$778

54.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 CHF 120

$74.2 MX$1,393

96.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 CHF 151

$89.3 MX$1,676

105.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 CHF 1,563

$980 MX$18.4K

93.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 CHF 1,240

$381 MX$7,150

294.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,366

$1,708 MX$32.1K

67.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 CHF 1,861

$1,075 MX$20.2K

109.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K CHF 9,285

$3,943 MX$74.0K

185.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,285 CHF 6,834

$6,158 MX$115.6K

34.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,694 CHF 5,522

$735 MX$13.8K

811.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

11.45

-81.66%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: October 26, 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

St. Gallen

$1.5K 43.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 74.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

St. Gallen

$575 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 55.7% $320

Eating Out

St. Gallen

$458 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 55.8% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

St. Gallen

$404 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 66.1% $267

Clothing & Footwear

St. Gallen

$242 7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 53.8% $130

Sport & Entertainment

St. Gallen

$136 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 50.5% $69

Getting Around

St. Gallen

$133 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 62.1% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,895 in St. Gallen 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 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 $144 in St. Gallen versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $575 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 St. Gallen

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

20:05 8:05 PM

6 h behind St. Gallen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,213

149,923

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.825 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.921 CHF (1 CHF = 1.09 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

St. Gallen Playa del Carmen 8,800 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

St. Gallen
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

St. Gallen vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $5,177 per month in St. Gallen 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 $1,895 in St. Gallen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,451 in St. Gallen and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. 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.