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 $3,847 per month in St. Moritz vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $6,534 per month in St. Moritz vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $9,221 per month in St. Moritz vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St. Moritz costs about 203% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

St. Moritz sits 186% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.18 CHF 24.75

$11.87 MX$204

162.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 116

$42.90 MX$736

241.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 CHF 11.68

$10.65 MX$183

38.12%

Cappuccino

$6.27 CHF 4.98

$3.45 MX$59.2

81.74%

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

$5.48 CHF 4.35

$1.50 MX$25.81

265.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.73

$0.95 MX$16.28

394.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.73 CHF 7.73

$3.03 MX$51.9

221.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.05 CHF 4.81

$4.61 MX$79.1

31.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 CHF 1.06

$1.38 MX$23.61

-3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.70

$1.85 MX$31.70

83.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CHF 3.13

$1.61 MX$27.65

144.72%

Eggs

$7.46 CHF 5.92

$2.59 MX$44.51

188.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.03 CHF 23.05

$8.26 MX$142

251.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.94 CHF 26.95

$8.37 MX$144

305.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.8 CHF 40.32

$10.66 MX$183

376.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CHF 3.29

$2.63 MX$45.12

57.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.31

$1.49 MX$25.53

95.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.50

$1.92 MX$32.94

64.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.01

$2.09 MX$35.81

141.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.17

$1.86 MX$31.88

46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.82

$2.26 MX$38.81

1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CHF 2.05

$1.06 MX$18.23

143.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CHF 1.33

$1.09 MX$18.67

53.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CHF 8.95

$4.15 MX$71.2

171.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.82 CHF 11.76

$10.39 MX$178

42.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.09

$1.72 MX$29.59

53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CHF 2.56

$2.61 MX$44.85

23.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.04 CHF 3.21

$0.54 MX$9.30

648.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 CHF 75.6

$26.94 MX$462

253.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 5.97

$3.13 MX$53.7

140.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.54 CHF 3.61

$2.51 MX$43.09

80.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 68.5

$3.15 MX$54.1

2640.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 CHF 1.80

$1.27 MX$21.88

78.74%

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

$40.0K CHF 31.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

31.77%

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

$39.8K CHF 31.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

68.85%

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

$98.5 CHF 78.2

$83.0 MX$1,425

18.72%

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

$35.59 CHF 28.25

$22.71 MX$390

56.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 CHF 46.98

$29.46 MX$506

100.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 CHF 58.3

$51.0 MX$875

44.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$19.41 CHF 15.41

$4.93 MX$84.5

293.71%

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

$3,408 CHF 2,705

$197 MX$3,386

1627.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.5K CHF 30.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

629.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$141 CHF 112

$36.90 MX$633

282.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 CHF 48.69

$39.89 MX$685

53.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 117

$80.0 MX$1,373

83.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 163

$89.5 MX$1,536

129.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 CHF 1,348

$956 MX$16.4K

77.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 CHF 1,552

$477 MX$8,189

309.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,277

$1,646 MX$28.3K

74.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,615 CHF 3,664

$1,225 MX$21.0K

276.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 11.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

281.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.6K CHF 9,221

$6,459 MX$110.9K

79.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,973 CHF 3,948

$667 MX$11.4K

645.56%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,699 in St. Moritz versus $956 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 646% 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 $146 in St. Moritz versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $670 vs $250 – 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 203%, 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 $5,770 per month in St. Moritz and $1,906 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 $3,847 in St. Moritz and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 253% 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 $1,271, than in St. Moritz at $3,847. 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.