Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zermatt and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,441 in Zermatt, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Zermatt
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Zermatt Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Zermatt

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,441

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zermatt and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zermatt and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,441 per month in Zermatt vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zermatt $3,441
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,226 per month in Zermatt vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zermatt $5,226
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $7,010 per month in Zermatt vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Zermatt $7,010
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Zermatt costs about 186% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zermatt sits 153% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.72 CHF 24.64

$10.92 MX$204

172.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 CHF 101

$43.37 MX$810

180.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.42 CHF 15.27

$11.78 MX$220

56.37%

Cappuccino

$5.91 CHF 4.90

$3.81 MX$71.2

55.12%

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

$5.40 CHF 4.47

$1.28 MX$23.96

321.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 CHF 4.03

$0.78 MX$14.63

524.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.92 CHF 7.39

$3.17 MX$59.2

181.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.36 CHF 6.10

$4.93 MX$92.2

49.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.83

$1.41 MX$26.28

56.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CHF 2.96

$2.22 MX$41.43

61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CHF 3.08

$1.42 MX$26.48

161.27%

Eggs

$7.90 CHF 6.55

$2.52 MX$47.14

213.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.11 CHF 21.64

$7.26 MX$136

259.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.74 CHF 22.99

$7.70 MX$144

260.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.83 CHF 33.85

$12.69 MX$237

221.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 CHF 2.97

$2.78 MX$52.0

28.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 CHF 1.70

$1.37 MX$25.56

50.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 CHF 2.29

$2.55 MX$47.66

8.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 CHF 3.85

$2.12 MX$39.67

118.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CHF 1.48

$1.94 MX$36.22

-7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 CHF 1.72

$1.89 MX$35.24

10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CHF 1.85

$1.15 MX$21.42

94.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.04

$1.18 MX$22.03

5.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 CHF 8.98

$4.30 MX$80.3

151.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 CHF 10.73

$9.95 MX$186

30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 CHF 2.24

$1.58 MX$29.59

71.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.66

$2.67 MX$49.91

20.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.25 CHF 3.52

$0.55 MX$10.34

672.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 CHF 83.4

$26.62 MX$497

277.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.76 CHF 6.43

$4.97 MX$92.9

56.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.63 CHF 3.83

$3.33 MX$62.2

39.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.8 CHF 62.0

$5.36 MX$100

1295.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.89

$1.44 MX$26.98

58.33%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.6K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

90.09%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.9K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

69.24%

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

$281 CHF 233

$84.8 MX$1,584

230.86%

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

$32.46 CHF 26.91

$23.41 MX$437

38.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.9 CHF 47.13

$28.66 MX$535

98.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.8 CHF 72.8

$57.1 MX$1,066

53.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.76 CHF 38.76

$28.91 MX$540

61.74%

Cinema Ticket

$23.47 CHF 19.46

$5.14 MX$96.0

356.61%

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

$2,954 CHF 2,449

$207 MX$3,860

1330.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.9K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

725.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 115

$43.35 MX$810

220.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 CHF 47.91

$41.44 MX$774

39.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$162 CHF 135

$74.2 MX$1,386

118.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 CHF 157

$89.3 MX$1,668

111.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 CHF 1,840

$980 MX$18.3K

126.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 CHF 1,234

$381 MX$7,116

291.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,968 CHF 2,460

$1,708 MX$31.9K

73.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,501 CHF 2,073

$1,075 MX$20.1K

132.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.6K CHF 13.8K

$3,943 MX$73.7K

322.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.5K CHF 10.4K

$6,158 MX$115.1K

103.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,590 CHF 7,949

$735 MX$13.7K

1205.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

11.45

-81.92%

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

Last update for Zermatt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Zermatt

$1.5K 43.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 74.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Zermatt

$588 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 56.7% $333

Eating Out

Zermatt

$464 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 56.4% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zermatt

$370 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 63% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Zermatt

$247 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 54.7% $135

Getting Around

Zermatt

$148 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 66% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Zermatt

$135 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 50.1% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,219 in Zermatt versus $980 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 in Zermatt are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $121 in Zermatt versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Zermatt

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

09:06 9:06 AM

6 h behind Zermatt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,800

149,923

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.829 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.923 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zermatt Playa del Carmen 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zermatt
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Zermatt is pricier by about 186%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,162 per month in Zermatt and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $2,219 in Zermatt.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,441 in Zermatt and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 186%.

Public transport costs about 74% 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 $1,204, than in Zermatt at $3,441. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zermatt 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, Zermatt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.