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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,926 per month in Kiruna vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,099 per month in Kiruna vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,272 per month in Kiruna vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kiruna costs about 49% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Kiruna sits 44% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.75 SEK 121

$11.73 MX$205

8.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 SEK 915

$41.62 MX$727

132.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 SEK 112

$10.64 MX$186

10.81%

Cappuccino

$4.64 SEK 43.94

$3.52 MX$61.5

31.82%

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

$2.07 SEK 19.61

$1.51 MX$26.37

37.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 SEK 10.03

$0.97 MX$17.00

9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.50 SEK 80.4

$2.95 MX$51.5

188.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 SEK 65.0

$4.45 MX$77.8

54.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.28

$1.38 MX$24.16

39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 SEK 33.48

$1.89 MX$33.04

87.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 SEK 47.05

$1.64 MX$28.59

203.05%

Eggs

$4.91 SEK 46.42

$2.51 MX$43.76

95.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 SEK 125

$8.34 MX$146

58.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.78 SEK 130

$8.34 MX$146

65.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.10 SEK 266

$10.73 MX$187

161.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 24.51

$2.60 MX$45.48

-0.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.75

$1.46 MX$25.45

86.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.77

$1.90 MX$33.19

37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 40.75

$2.08 MX$36.26

107.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 SEK 20.45

$1.78 MX$31.01

21.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 15.08

$2.19 MX$38.16

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.43 SEK 32.45

$1.04 MX$18.16

229.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SEK 13.83

$1.08 MX$18.80

35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.19 SEK 68.0

$4.08 MX$71.3

76.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 SEK 96.1

$10.32 MX$180

-1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SEK 17.25

$1.71 MX$29.90

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.80

$2.58 MX$44.98

-27.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 SEK 32.27

$0.51 MX$8.90

568.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 SEK 703

$26.46 MX$462

180.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 SEK 87.9

$3.26 MX$57.0

184.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 SEK 15.17

$2.49 MX$43.51

-35.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.8 SEK 699

$3.25 MX$56.7

2172.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 SEK 18.62

$1.31 MX$22.83

50.38%

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

$32.4K SEK 307.0K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

7.15%

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

$36.2K SEK 342.8K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

54.65%

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

$173 SEK 1,638

$82.9 MX$1,447

108.88%

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

$32.94 SEK 312

$22.22 MX$388

48.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.76 SEK 263

$29.34 MX$512

-5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 SEK 442

$51.6 MX$902

-9.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.86 SEK 235

$18.32 MX$320

35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 SEK 130

$5.07 MX$88.5

170.22%

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

$161 SEK 1,522

$201 MX$3,507

-19.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,100 SEK 38.8K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

-21.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,180

$36.92 MX$645

237.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.76 SEK 319

$39.79 MX$695

-15.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 SEK 1,224

$78.5 MX$1,370

64.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,574

$87.1 MX$1,521

91.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 7,963

$973 MX$17.0K

-13.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 SEK 6,061

$468 MX$8,169

36.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 SEK 13.4K

$1,641 MX$28.7K

-13.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SEK 11.2K

$1,221 MX$21.3K

-3.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,906 SEK 37.0K

$3,946 MX$68.9K

-1.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,376 SEK 31.9K

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-48.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,449 SEK 32.6K

$664 MX$11.6K

419.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-64.97%

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

Last update for Kiruna: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Kiruna versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 419% higher in Kiruna, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Kiruna versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $423 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,926 in Kiruna, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 49% apart. Kiruna costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,889 per month in Kiruna and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% more in Kiruna, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Kiruna and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Kiruna at $1,926. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiruna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $1,926 in Kiruna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kiruna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.