Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Staefa and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,417 per month in Staefa vs $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,243 per month in Staefa vs $2,189 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,069 per month in Staefa vs $3,084 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Staefa costs about 164% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Staefa sits 156% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.06 CHF 25.00

$11.73 MX$204

164.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 120

$41.78 MX$725

258.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.30 CHF 14.73

$10.41 MX$181

75.79%

Cappuccino

$6.42 CHF 5.17

$3.61 MX$62.6

77.84%

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

$5.78 CHF 4.65

$1.46 MX$25.28

295.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 CHF 4.32

$0.97 MX$16.84

453.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.63 CHF 6.14

$2.92 MX$50.8

161.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 CHF 5.56

$4.62 MX$80.2

49.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.75

$1.43 MX$24.80

52.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CHF 2.24

$1.90 MX$32.98

46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.84

$1.57 MX$27.18

124.84%

Eggs

$8.28 CHF 6.66

$2.64 MX$45.73

213.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.52 CHF 22.15

$8.44 MX$146

226.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.47 CHF 26.14

$8.58 MX$149

278.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.79 CHF 40.07

$11.00 MX$191

352.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 CHF 2.55

$2.70 MX$46.91

17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.32

$1.51 MX$26.15

90.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.43

$1.91 MX$33.22

58.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 CHF 4.05

$2.17 MX$37.69

131.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 CHF 2.28

$1.87 MX$32.53

51.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 CHF 1.91

$2.23 MX$38.76

6.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CHF 1.99

$1.08 MX$18.76

129.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.00

$1.07 MX$18.63

16.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 CHF 9.05

$4.16 MX$72.2

170.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CHF 11.34

$10.29 MX$179

36.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 CHF 2.12

$1.68 MX$29.20

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.93

$2.53 MX$43.96

-5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 CHF 3.24

$0.55 MX$9.61

632.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 CHF 78.5

$26.29 MX$456

270.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 CHF 5.36

$3.20 MX$55.5

108.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.29 CHF 3.45

$2.46 MX$42.73

74.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.21 CHF 34.78

$3.20 MX$55.5

1250.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.82

$1.32 MX$22.91

71.21%

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

$40.3K CHF 32.5K

$30.2K MX$523.3K

33.81%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.0K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

69.78%

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

$253 CHF 204

$81.4 MX$1,412

211.21%

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

$35.36 CHF 28.46

$22.41 MX$389

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CHF 43.36

$29.97 MX$520

79.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 CHF 71.5

$51.6 MX$895

72.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$24.24 CHF 19.51

$5.16 MX$89.6

369.77%

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

$2,859 CHF 2,301

$202 MX$3,501

1317.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.8K CHF 31.2K

$5,311 MX$92.2K

630.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 110

$35.61 MX$618

285.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 CHF 49.62

$40.37 MX$701

52.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$150 CHF 120

$78.6 MX$1,365

90.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 160

$86.9 MX$1,507

129.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 CHF 1,364

$950 MX$16.5K

78.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 CHF 1,192

$478 MX$8,298

209.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 CHF 2,295

$1,621 MX$28.1K

75.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 CHF 1,964

$1,223 MX$21.2K

99.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.5K CHF 14.1K

$4,009 MX$69.6K

335.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$15.0K CHF 12.1K

$6,473 MX$112.3K

131.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.42

-81.70%

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

Last update for Staefa: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,694 in Staefa versus $950 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $150 in Staefa versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $646 vs $254 – 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

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

Yes – Staefa is pricier by about 164%, 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 $5,126 per month in Staefa and $1,941 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 $3,417 in Staefa and $1,294 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 $1,294, than in Staefa at $3,417. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staefa 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, Staefa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.