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: $1,471 in Gavle versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Gavle versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,226 in Gavle versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gavle is roughly 14% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gavle is 7% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.47 SEK 119

$11.71 MX$198

6.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 SEK 859

$46.59 MX$787

92.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 SEK 92.6

$11.65 MX$197

-16.91%

Cappuccino

$5.26 SEK 50.3

$4.09 MX$69.2

28.61%

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

$2.12 SEK 20.24

$1.37 MX$23.23

54.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.06

$0.83 MX$14.09

190.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 SEK 79.6

$3.35 MX$56.7

148.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 SEK 70.2

$6.91 MX$117

6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.56

$1.73 MX$29.19

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 SEK 25.15

$2.26 MX$38.20

16.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 38.15

$1.77 MX$29.90

125.42%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 37.28

$2.73 MX$46.18

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 SEK 93.0

$9.18 MX$155

5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 105

$8.92 MX$151

22.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 SEK 187

$12.60 MX$213

54.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 29.79

$3.02 MX$51.1

2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.06

$1.57 MX$26.54

80.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.63

$2.13 MX$35.92

50.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.97

$2.26 MX$38.27

103.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.48

$2.00 MX$33.87

-14.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.00

$2.06 MX$34.89

-8.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 SEK 24.51

$1.18 MX$19.94

116.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.77

$1.20 MX$20.35

72.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.30 SEK 79.4

$4.63 MX$78.3

79.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 SEK 110

$10.69 MX$181

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SEK 16.15

$1.62 MX$27.37

4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.71

$2.88 MX$48.69

-43.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.67

$0.57 MX$9.69

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 SEK 596

$29.83 MX$504

108.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 SEK 45.22

$5.45 MX$92.1

-13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 14.79

$3.70 MX$62.6

-58.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.03 SEK 335

$5.98 MX$101

485.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.26

$1.55 MX$26.25

23.23%

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

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

20.36%

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

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

11.08%

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

$55.4 SEK 530

$89.1 MX$1,506

-37.89%

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

$22.54 SEK 216

$25.04 MX$423

-9.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.89 SEK 382

$31.50 MX$532

26.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.53 SEK 464

$67.8 MX$1,145

-28.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SEK 150

$5.05 MX$85.3

211.09%

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

$138 SEK 1,316

$225 MX$3,802

-38.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

266.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 SEK 711

$47.44 MX$802

56.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 SEK 548

$44.98 MX$760

27.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.1 SEK 499

$82.0 MX$1,386

-36.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 SEK 905

$92.1 MX$1,556

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SEK 5,575

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 SEK 4,236

$405 MX$6,850

9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 SEK 7,814

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-57.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 SEK 6,553

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-47.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-49.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-79.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

$749 MX$12.7K

330.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

11.45

-71.09%

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

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 in Gavle and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 330% 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: $90.0 in Gavle vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $277 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,471 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 330% 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: $583 in Gavle versus $1,069 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 109% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Gavle versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,471 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 14% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.