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: $1,996 in Gavle versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,963 in Gavle versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Gavle versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gavle is roughly 54% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gavle is 49% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$11.73 MX$203

9.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 SEK 900

$41.62 MX$720

131.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 SEK 98.4

$10.64 MX$184

-0.85%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 48.51

$3.52 MX$60.9

47.73%

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

$2.06 SEK 19.24

$1.51 MX$26.12

36.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.22

$0.97 MX$16.84

145.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 SEK 80.2

$2.95 MX$51.0

191.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 SEK 78.2

$4.45 MX$77.0

88.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.07

$1.38 MX$23.93

24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 23.98

$1.89 MX$32.72

35.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 36.38

$1.64 MX$28.32

137.80%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 39.03

$2.51 MX$43.34

66.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 SEK 86.3

$8.34 MX$144

10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 SEK 96.2

$8.34 MX$144

23.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SEK 140

$10.73 MX$186

39.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.08

$2.60 MX$45.04

28.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 26.72

$1.46 MX$25.20

95.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 32.43

$1.90 MX$32.87

83.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 SEK 41.58

$2.08 MX$35.91

114.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.56

$1.78 MX$30.71

5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$2.19 MX$37.80

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.29

$1.04 MX$17.99

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 14.60

$1.08 MX$18.62

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 SEK 72.8

$4.08 MX$70.6

91.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 SEK 111

$10.32 MX$178

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.30

$1.71 MX$29.61

-4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.22

$2.58 MX$44.54

-28.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 SEK 37.44

$0.51 MX$8.81

686.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 SEK 547

$26.46 MX$458

121.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 SEK 43.74

$3.26 MX$56.4

43.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 SEK 12.48

$2.49 MX$43.09

-46.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.80 SEK 455

$3.25 MX$56.2

1401.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.31 MX$22.61

38.93%

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

$29.5K SEK 274.9K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-2.69%

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

$33.6K SEK 313.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

43.60%

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

$85.3 SEK 796

$82.9 MX$1,433

2.88%

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

$28.10 SEK 262

$22.22 MX$384

26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.37 SEK 386

$29.34 MX$507

41.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 SEK 467

$51.6 MX$893

-3.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 SEK 147

$18.32 MX$317

-13.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 SEK 130

$5.07 MX$87.6

173.96%

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

$160 SEK 1,497

$201 MX$3,473

-20.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,622 SEK 61.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 SEK 890

$36.92 MX$639

158.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 SEK 454

$39.79 MX$688

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 SEK 774

$78.5 MX$1,357

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,463

$87.1 MX$1,506

80.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 SEK 7,792

$973 MX$16.8K

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,372

$468 MX$8,090

91.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 SEK 16.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

5.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 SEK 11.9K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

4.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,020 SEK 18.8K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-48.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-77.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 SEK 30.7K

$664 MX$11.5K

394.81%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $835 in Gavle and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 395% 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: $96.0 in Gavle vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 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 54% in total monthly costs ($1,996 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Gavle pays 395% more on average, 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: $835 in Gavle versus $973 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 121% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $160 in Gavle versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,996 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 54% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.