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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,529 per month in St. Gallen vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,441 per month in St. Gallen vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,353 per month in St. Gallen vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Gallen costs about 181% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Gallen sits 164% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.33 CHF 24.57

$11.99 MX$209

152.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$41.78 MX$728

252.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 14.99

$10.75 MX$187

72.09%

Cappuccino

$6.36 CHF 5.15

$3.50 MX$60.9

81.71%

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

$5.84 CHF 4.73

$1.45 MX$25.22

302.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CHF 4.32

$0.88 MX$15.41

505.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 CHF 6.20

$2.95 MX$51.3

159.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 CHF 5.89

$4.51 MX$78.6

61.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.78

$1.43 MX$24.94

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CHF 2.15

$1.84 MX$31.99

44.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.86

$1.57 MX$27.31

124.84%

Eggs

$8.31 CHF 6.73

$2.51 MX$43.74

231.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.25 CHF 22.08

$8.28 MX$144

229.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.23 CHF 26.10

$8.43 MX$147

282.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.77 CHF 33.84

$10.68 MX$186

291.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.65

$2.61 MX$45.43

25.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CHF 1.51

$1.44 MX$25.04

29.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 CHF 1.98

$1.96 MX$34.16

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.04 CHF 5.70

$2.09 MX$36.47

236.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CHF 2.05

$1.85 MX$32.24

36.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 CHF 1.88

$2.17 MX$37.74

6.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 CHF 1.93

$1.03 MX$17.96

131.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CHF 0.90

$1.07 MX$18.70

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 CHF 8.75

$4.10 MX$71.4

163.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.53 CHF 9.34

$10.17 MX$177

13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 CHF 1.77

$1.68 MX$29.17

30.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.93

$2.53 MX$43.98

-5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 CHF 3.41

$0.51 MX$8.87

725.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 CHF 66.8

$26.04 MX$453

216.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.79 CHF 5.50

$3.23 MX$56.3

110.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.10 CHF 3.32

$2.41 MX$41.88

70.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.4 CHF 64.3

$3.23 MX$56.2

2356.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 CHF 1.73

$1.32 MX$23.00

62.12%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.9K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

36.86%

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

$40.8K CHF 33.1K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

72.52%

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

$324 CHF 262

$82.0 MX$1,428

294.70%

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

$59.4 CHF 48.09

$22.95 MX$400

158.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 CHF 42.30

$30.11 MX$524

73.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 CHF 67.0

$52.0 MX$905

59.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$100 CHF 81.0

$18.53 MX$323

439.94%

Cinema Ticket

$31.00 CHF 25.11

$4.98 MX$86.6

522.49%

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

$2,815 CHF 2,280

$197 MX$3,438

1325.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.7K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

541.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 118

$35.60 MX$620

307.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.6 CHF 52.3

$40.33 MX$702

60.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$159 CHF 128

$78.8 MX$1,371

101.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$233 CHF 189

$88.9 MX$1,549

162.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 CHF 1,471

$947 MX$16.5K

91.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CHF 1,211

$474 MX$8,254

215.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,793 CHF 2,262

$1,644 MX$28.6K

69.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CHF 1,871

$1,211 MX$21.1K

90.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K CHF 10.0K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

205.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,105 CHF 7,375

$6,470 MX$112.7K

40.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,998 CHF 5,668

$654 MX$11.4K

970.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

11.42

-78.11%

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

Last update for St. Gallen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,816 in St. Gallen versus $947 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 run about 970% higher in St. Gallen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $147 in St. Gallen versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $610 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 181%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,293 per month in St. Gallen and $1,884 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,529 in St. Gallen and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 217% 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 $1,256, than in St. Gallen at $3,529. 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.

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, St. Gallen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.