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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,060 in Gavle versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Gavle versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Gavle versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gavle is roughly 64% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gavle is 54% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.88 SEK 125

$11.99 MX$210

7.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 SEK 911

$41.78 MX$733

125.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 101

$10.75 MX$189

-2.51%

Cappuccino

$5.07 SEK 48.98

$3.50 MX$61.3

44.86%

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

$2.14 SEK 20.72

$1.45 MX$25.41

47.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SEK 23.76

$0.88 MX$15.52

179.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 SEK 79.2

$2.95 MX$51.7

177.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 83.5

$4.51 MX$79.1

91.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.64

$1.43 MX$25.12

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SEK 24.39

$1.84 MX$32.23

36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 37.68

$1.57 MX$27.51

148.41%

Eggs

$4.02 SEK 38.83

$2.51 MX$44.06

60.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 SEK 90.8

$8.28 MX$145

13.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 SEK 99.1

$8.43 MX$148

21.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 SEK 143

$10.68 MX$187

38.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.93

$2.61 MX$45.76

26.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 27.62

$1.44 MX$25.22

98.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 SEK 33.47

$1.96 MX$34.41

76.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 SEK 44.20

$2.09 MX$36.74

118.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$1.85 MX$32.47

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.04

$2.17 MX$38.02

-13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 25.46

$1.03 MX$18.09

155.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.10

$1.07 MX$18.84

45.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 SEK 77.2

$4.10 MX$72.0

94.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 SEK 112

$10.17 MX$178

13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.05

$1.68 MX$29.38

-1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.85

$2.53 MX$44.31

-26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 SEK 37.95

$0.51 MX$8.93

670.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 SEK 555

$26.04 MX$457

120.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 SEK 45.27

$3.23 MX$56.7

44.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 SEK 12.77

$2.41 MX$42.19

-45.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.27 SEK 476

$3.23 MX$56.6

1425.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$1.32 MX$23.17

42.42%

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

$29.1K SEK 281.7K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-1.88%

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

$33.6K SEK 324.8K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

42.00%

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

$112 SEK 1,082

$82.0 MX$1,439

36.52%

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

$28.71 SEK 278

$22.95 MX$403

25.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.73 SEK 403

$30.11 MX$528

38.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 SEK 485

$52.0 MX$912

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 SEK 157

$18.53 MX$325

-12.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 SEK 137

$4.98 MX$87.3

184.94%

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

$159 SEK 1,534

$197 MX$3,463

-19.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-22.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 958

$35.60 MX$624

178.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.72 SEK 471

$40.33 MX$707

20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 SEK 810

$78.8 MX$1,381

6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 SEK 1,544

$88.9 MX$1,560

79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 SEK 8,106

$947 MX$16.6K

-11.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,666

$474 MX$8,314

89.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

3.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,990 SEK 19.2K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-50.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-78.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

$654 MX$11.5K

391.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

11.42

-64.10%

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

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Gavle and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 392% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gavle vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Gavle and Playa del Carmen differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,060 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 392% higher in Gavle, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $839 in Gavle versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 120% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $159 in Gavle versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,060 in Gavle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gavle. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gavle and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.