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: $2,066 in Gothenburg versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,137 in Gothenburg versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,208 in Gothenburg versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 63% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 51% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 SEK 133

$11.60 MX$200

15.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 SEK 901

$47.11 MX$812

93.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 SEK 130

$11.88 MX$205

10.61%

Cappuccino

$4.97 SEK 48.93

$3.98 MX$68.6

24.87%

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

$3.02 SEK 29.77

$1.43 MX$24.60

111.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.93

$0.82 MX$14.22

171.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 SEK 67.8

$3.19 MX$55.0

115.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.55 SEK 74.4

$6.79 MX$117

11.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 17.07

$1.68 MX$28.89

2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 SEK 26.78

$2.20 MX$37.88

23.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.32

$1.71 MX$29.45

85.96%

Eggs

$3.94 SEK 38.82

$2.74 MX$47.26

43.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 SEK 117

$9.58 MX$165

24.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 SEK 115

$9.01 MX$155

29.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 166

$12.81 MX$221

31.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 31.51

$2.89 MX$49.81

10.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 SEK 25.34

$1.50 MX$25.81

71.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.40

$2.15 MX$37.03

43.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 SEK 41.82

$2.26 MX$38.96

87.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 18.24

$1.98 MX$34.15

-6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 SEK 16.29

$1.99 MX$34.30

-17.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 SEK 19.51

$1.23 MX$21.28

60.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SEK 17.01

$1.20 MX$20.63

44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.36 SEK 82.4

$4.55 MX$78.5

83.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 SEK 141

$10.37 MX$179

37.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 20.38

$1.62 MX$27.91

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 SEK 21.96

$2.88 MX$49.67

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 SEK 36.89

$0.60 MX$10.35

523.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.0 SEK 867

$28.80 MX$497

205.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 SEK 61.3

$5.39 MX$92.9

15.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.82

$3.73 MX$64.3

-54.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.3 SEK 594

$5.77 MX$99.5

945.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.99

$1.54 MX$26.48

18.83%

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

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

48.05%

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

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

33.48%

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

$107 SEK 1,057

$91.4 MX$1,576

17.39%

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

$19.22 SEK 189

$25.20 MX$435

-23.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 SEK 354

$31.24 MX$539

15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 SEK 365

$67.2 MX$1,159

-44.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 SEK 249

$29.11 MX$502

-13.36%

Cinema Ticket

$19.54 SEK 193

$4.86 MX$83.8

302.06%

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

$229 SEK 2,253

$224 MX$3,856

2.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

5.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 SEK 879

$47.10 MX$812

89.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 SEK 327

$44.29 MX$764

-25.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 SEK 919

$80.1 MX$1,381

16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 SEK 1,308

$92.7 MX$1,598

43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 SEK 9,380

$390 MX$6,728

143.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-13.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

10.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

59.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-45.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

378.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

11.45

-73.28%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,045 in Gothenburg and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 378% 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: $91.0 in Gothenburg vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $276 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 63% 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.

Average pay runs 378% higher in Gothenburg, 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: $1,045 in Gothenburg versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Gothenburg versus $224 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 32% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 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 $1,266 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 63% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.