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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Gothenburg versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Gothenburg versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,328 in Gothenburg versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 59% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 54% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 129

$11.73 MX$203

17.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 SEK 880

$41.62 MX$719

125.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 SEK 97.0

$10.64 MX$184

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$4.73 SEK 44.40

$3.52 MX$60.8

34.38%

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

$2.97 SEK 27.84

$1.51 MX$26.09

96.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 23.76

$0.97 MX$16.82

160.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.26 SEK 68.1

$2.95 MX$51.0

146.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 72.4

$4.45 MX$77.0

73.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 SEK 15.75

$1.38 MX$23.90

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 SEK 26.75

$1.89 MX$32.69

50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 SEK 31.11

$1.64 MX$28.29

102.44%

Eggs

$4.65 SEK 43.63

$2.51 MX$43.30

85.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 SEK 111

$8.34 MX$144

41.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.61 SEK 118

$8.34 MX$144

51.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.02 SEK 178

$10.73 MX$185

77.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 29.07

$2.60 MX$45.00

19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 25.67

$1.46 MX$25.18

87.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 SEK 27.25

$1.90 MX$32.84

53.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 SEK 39.16

$2.08 MX$35.88

100.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.58

$1.78 MX$30.68

-6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.34

$2.19 MX$37.76

-15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 SEK 21.33

$1.04 MX$17.97

118.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 SEK 14.53

$1.08 MX$18.60

43.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 SEK 73.3

$4.08 MX$70.5

91.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 SEK 144

$10.32 MX$178

48.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 SEK 21.19

$1.71 MX$29.59

32.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 SEK 24.45

$2.58 MX$44.50

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 SEK 35.63

$0.51 MX$8.81

645.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 SEK 831

$26.46 MX$457

234.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 SEK 94.8

$3.26 MX$56.4

210.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.56

$2.49 MX$43.05

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.7 SEK 579

$3.25 MX$56.1

1799.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.73

$1.31 MX$22.59

44.27%

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

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

5.79%

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

$34.5K SEK 323.3K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

47.11%

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

$138 SEK 1,299

$82.9 MX$1,432

67.08%

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

$24.95 SEK 234

$22.22 MX$384

12.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 SEK 359

$29.34 MX$507

30.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 SEK 392

$51.6 MX$892

-19.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.26 SEK 237

$18.32 MX$317

37.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 SEK 169

$5.07 MX$87.5

254.64%

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

$175 SEK 1,646

$201 MX$3,470

-12.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,215 SEK 39.5K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-19.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 SEK 822

$36.92 MX$638

137.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.28 SEK 378

$39.79 MX$688

1.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 SEK 909

$78.5 MX$1,356

23.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,466

$87.1 MX$1,505

79.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

$973 MX$16.8K

15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 SEK 8,190

$468 MX$8,082

86.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

16.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

17.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,696 SEK 62.8K

$3,946 MX$68.2K

69.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 SEK 35.3K

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-42.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

$664 MX$11.5K

495.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.33

11.42

-62.08%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Gothenburg and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 495% 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 Gothenburg vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gothenburg pays 495% 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: $1,125 in Gothenburg versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $175 in Gothenburg versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,058 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg 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 59% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.