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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,776 per month in St. Moritz vs $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,503 per month in St. Moritz vs $2,125 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $9,229 per month in St. Moritz vs $2,990 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Moritz costs about 200% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Moritz sits 184% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 25.22

$11.72 MX$204

164.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 119

$41.89 MX$731

250.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 CHF 11.98

$10.51 MX$183

40.15%

Cappuccino

$6.32 CHF 5.14

$3.59 MX$62.5

76.04%

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

$5.65 CHF 4.60

$1.51 MX$26.31

274.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 CHF 3.66

$0.92 MX$15.96

389.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.75 CHF 7.93

$2.96 MX$51.6

229.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CHF 4.87

$4.41 MX$76.9

35.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CHF 1.08

$1.40 MX$24.35

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 CHF 2.75

$1.88 MX$32.87

79.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.34

$1.56 MX$27.19

163.46%

Eggs

$7.60 CHF 6.18

$2.61 MX$45.50

191.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.20 CHF 23.75

$8.32 MX$145

250.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.92 CHF 26.78

$8.35 MX$146

294.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.6 CHF 41.18

$10.86 MX$189

366.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 CHF 3.33

$2.71 MX$47.31

50.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.35

$1.51 MX$26.25

91.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 CHF 2.47

$1.87 MX$32.67

62.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 CHF 4.23

$2.19 MX$38.19

137.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 CHF 2.23

$1.86 MX$32.40

47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 CHF 1.88

$2.23 MX$38.90

3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CHF 2.01

$1.07 MX$18.63

130.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.40

$1.09 MX$18.94

58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CHF 9.08

$4.19 MX$73.0

166.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CHF 11.05

$10.43 MX$182

30.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 CHF 2.20

$1.66 MX$28.91

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 CHF 2.70

$2.61 MX$45.56

26.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 CHF 3.13

$0.54 MX$9.45

611.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 CHF 78.9

$26.16 MX$456

270.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.12

$3.08 MX$53.7

144.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.46 CHF 3.63

$2.40 MX$41.94

85.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$89.2 CHF 72.6

$3.13 MX$54.5

2751.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.82

$1.31 MX$22.87

70.99%

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

$40.5K CHF 32.9K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

35.79%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.4K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

70.69%

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

$97.2 CHF 79.1

$81.3 MX$1,418

19.64%

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

$36.41 CHF 29.61

$22.56 MX$393

61.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.54

$30.05 MX$524

98.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 CHF 60.8

$52.9 MX$923

41.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.41 CHF 34.50

$18.39 MX$321

130.61%

Cinema Ticket

$18.87 CHF 15.35

$4.92 MX$85.8

283.54%

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

$3,368 CHF 2,739

$201 MX$3,502

1577.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.7K CHF 32.3K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

668.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 112

$35.92 MX$627

282.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 CHF 50.6

$40.13 MX$700

55.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$151 CHF 123

$79.7 MX$1,390

89.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 CHF 165

$86.5 MX$1,508

134.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 CHF 1,385

$978 MX$17.1K

74.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 CHF 1,621

$470 MX$8,206

323.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,808 CHF 2,284

$1,651 MX$28.8K

70.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,655 CHF 3,787

$1,203 MX$21.0K

286.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.6K CHF 12.7K

$3,953 MX$69.0K

294.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 9,957

$6,607 MX$115.2K

85.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,804 CHF 3,908

$677 MX$11.8K

610.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.8

11.42

-84.24%

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

Last update for St. Moritz: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,702 in St. Moritz versus $978 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 610% higher in St. Moritz, 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. Moritz versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $665 vs $252 – 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. Moritz vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Moritz is pricier by about 200%, 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 $5,665 per month in St. Moritz and $1,890 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 $3,776 in St. Moritz and $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 271% 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 $1,260, than in St. Moritz at $3,776. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Moritz 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, St. Moritz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.