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 $3,420 per month in Staefa vs $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $5,329 per month in Staefa vs $2,336 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $7,238 per month in Staefa vs $3,341 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Staefa costs about 157% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Staefa sits 150% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.60 CHF 24.46

$13.02 MX$221

135.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 97.2

$46.25 MX$784

162.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.98 CHF 13.57

$12.59 MX$213

34.87%

Cappuccino

$6.38 CHF 5.10

$4.00 MX$67.9

59.50%

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

$5.65 CHF 4.52

$1.42 MX$24.08

297.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 CHF 4.19

$0.81 MX$13.73

545.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.71 CHF 6.96

$3.05 MX$51.7

185.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.44 CHF 6.75

$6.82 MX$116

23.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 CHF 1.69

$1.71 MX$29.04

23.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 CHF 2.72

$2.22 MX$37.62

53.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 CHF 3.19

$1.72 MX$29.13

131.98%

Eggs

$8.62 CHF 6.89

$2.71 MX$45.99

218.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.49 CHF 21.98

$9.37 MX$159

193.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.53 CHF 20.42

$8.86 MX$150

188.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$55.3 CHF 44.25

$12.78 MX$217

333.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.59 CHF 2.87

$3.13 MX$53.0

14.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.25

$1.55 MX$26.24

81.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CHF 2.77

$2.15 MX$36.51

61.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CHF 3.67

$2.35 MX$39.89

95.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 CHF 1.97

$2.02 MX$34.23

22.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 CHF 1.77

$1.99 MX$33.67

11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CHF 2.09

$1.24 MX$21.09

110.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CHF 1.04

$1.19 MX$20.21

9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 CHF 8.83

$4.65 MX$78.8

137.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.51 CHF 10.80

$10.47 MX$177

29.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 CHF 2.18

$1.58 MX$26.82

72.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 CHF 2.24

$2.92 MX$49.48

-4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.55 CHF 3.64

$0.56 MX$9.53

712.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 CHF 83.3

$29.76 MX$504

250.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 6.06

$5.32 MX$90.2

42.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.81 CHF 3.84

$3.72 MX$63.0

29.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 69.7

$5.78 MX$97.9

1408.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 CHF 1.83

$1.55 MX$26.27

47.74%

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

$40.7K CHF 32.6K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

81.99%

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

$39.7K CHF 31.7K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

55.08%

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

$205 CHF 164

$89.3 MX$1,513

129.31%

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

$32.31 CHF 25.83

$23.30 MX$395

38.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 CHF 45.25

$31.72 MX$538

78.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.9 CHF 76.7

$68.8 MX$1,165

39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 CHF 37.02

$29.40 MX$498

57.48%

Cinema Ticket

$22.51 CHF 18.00

$5.06 MX$85.7

344.86%

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

$2,911 CHF 2,327

$222 MX$3,765

1210.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.9K CHF 34.3K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

899.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$142 CHF 113

$46.21 MX$783

206.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 CHF 48.18

$44.43 MX$753

35.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 118

$95.5 MX$1,618

54.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 CHF 139

$92.5 MX$1,568

87.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 CHF 1,431

$1,069 MX$18.1K

67.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CHF 1,195

$393 MX$6,663

280.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,907 CHF 2,325

$1,988 MX$33.7K

46.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,532 CHF 2,024

$1,304 MX$22.1K

94.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.7K CHF 13.3K

$4,037 MX$68.4K

312.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,713

$6,627 MX$112.3K

83.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

11.6

-85.17%

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

Last update for Staefa: August 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Staefa versus $1,069 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 $122 in Staefa versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $638 vs $277 – 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 157%, 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 $5,130 per month in Staefa and $1,995 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 $3,420 in Staefa and $1,330 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 250% 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 $1,330, than in Staefa at $3,420. 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.