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: $2,063 in Gothenburg versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,240 in Gothenburg versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Gothenburg versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$11.99 MX$209

14.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 SEK 883

$41.78 MX$728

118.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 SEK 101

$10.75 MX$187

-3.07%

Cappuccino

$4.86 SEK 47.02

$3.50 MX$60.9

38.86%

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

$3.08 SEK 29.79

$1.45 MX$25.22

112.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 24.81

$0.88 MX$15.41

190.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 SEK 71.9

$2.95 MX$51.3

151.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 SEK 74.7

$4.51 MX$78.6

71.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.02

$1.43 MX$24.94

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 SEK 27.83

$1.84 MX$31.99

55.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 SEK 32.35

$1.57 MX$27.31

112.74%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 44.87

$2.51 MX$43.74

84.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 113

$8.28 MX$144

40.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$8.43 MX$147

47.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.65 SEK 181

$10.68 MX$186

74.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 SEK 29.77

$2.61 MX$45.43

17.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 SEK 25.60

$1.44 MX$25.04

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 SEK 28.35

$1.96 MX$34.16

49.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.74

$2.09 MX$36.47

106.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 SEK 16.99

$1.85 MX$32.24

-4.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.13

$2.17 MX$37.74

-13.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 SEK 21.45

$1.03 MX$17.96

115.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 SEK 15.40

$1.07 MX$18.70

48.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.94 SEK 76.9

$4.10 MX$71.4

93.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 SEK 139

$10.17 MX$177

41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.29

$1.68 MX$29.17

30.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 SEK 24.48

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.92 SEK 38.00

$0.51 MX$8.87

668.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 SEK 880

$26.04 MX$453

249.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 SEK 98.4

$3.23 MX$56.3

214.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 SEK 16.12

$2.41 MX$41.88

-30.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 SEK 596

$3.23 MX$56.2

1806.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.32 MX$23.00

48.48%

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

$32.2K SEK 311.6K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

8.36%

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

$35.6K SEK 344.3K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

50.27%

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

$140 SEK 1,358

$82.0 MX$1,428

71.09%

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

$25.00 SEK 242

$22.95 MX$400

8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 SEK 373

$30.11 MX$524

28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 SEK 401

$52.0 MX$905

-20.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 SEK 240

$18.53 MX$323

33.89%

Cinema Ticket

$18.04 SEK 175

$4.98 MX$86.6

262.25%

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

$178 SEK 1,722

$197 MX$3,438

-9.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,177 SEK 40.4K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-21.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 SEK 867

$35.60 MX$620

151.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 SEK 381

$40.33 MX$702

-2.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SEK 923

$78.8 MX$1,371

21.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 SEK 1,477

$88.9 MX$1,549

71.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 SEK 10.6K

$947 MX$16.5K

15.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 SEK 8,328

$474 MX$8,254

81.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 SEK 18.2K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

14.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 SEK 13.6K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

15.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,493 SEK 62.9K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

60.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,504 SEK 33.9K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-45.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

$654 MX$11.4K

449.00%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Gothenburg and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 449% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 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 64% 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 449% 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: $1,096 in Gothenburg versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Gothenburg versus $197 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 52% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,063 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 $1,256 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 64% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.