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 $1,819 per month in Kiruna vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,037 per month in Kiruna vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,255 per month in Kiruna vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kiruna costs about 39% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Kiruna sits 32% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.14 SEK 137

$11.96 MX$203

18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 SEK 1,272

$47.38 MX$804

176.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 SEK 95.8

$11.75 MX$199

-15.83%

Cappuccino

$4.75 SEK 46.03

$4.12 MX$70.0

15.29%

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

$2.69 SEK 26.06

$1.40 MX$23.74

92.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 SEK 21.44

$0.91 MX$15.48

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.15 SEK 98.4

$3.21 MX$54.4

216.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 SEK 65.4

$7.07 MX$120

-4.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 SEK 17.99

$1.68 MX$28.44

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 SEK 28.31

$2.15 MX$36.48

35.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 SEK 40.77

$1.77 MX$30.10

137.85%

Eggs

$4.15 SEK 40.27

$2.82 MX$47.76

47.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 SEK 132

$9.20 MX$156

47.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 SEK 119

$9.23 MX$157

32.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 SEK 158

$12.64 MX$214

29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.03

$2.95 MX$50.1

18.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 SEK 25.88

$1.58 MX$26.79

68.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 SEK 34.18

$2.22 MX$37.70

59.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 SEK 41.78

$2.36 MX$40.09

82.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 SEK 14.61

$1.99 MX$33.81

-24.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 SEK 14.85

$1.98 MX$33.58

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 SEK 19.99

$1.24 MX$21.04

66.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SEK 14.22

$1.21 MX$20.55

21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.36 SEK 71.4

$4.60 MX$78.1

60.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 SEK 114

$10.52 MX$178

11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.50

$1.69 MX$28.70

24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 22.71

$2.77 MX$47.06

-15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.57

$0.60 MX$10.22

460.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 SEK 808

$29.70 MX$504

180.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 SEK 55.8

$5.24 MX$88.8

9.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 SEK 14.73

$3.65 MX$61.9

-58.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.8 SEK 647

$5.78 MX$98.1

1054.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 SEK 21.21

$1.54 MX$26.09

42.21%

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

$36.4K SEK 352.5K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

59.46%

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

$34.6K SEK 335.7K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

34.15%

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

$119 SEK 1,156

$90.7 MX$1,538

31.54%

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

$23.66 SEK 229

$25.19 MX$427

-6.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.25 SEK 390

$31.75 MX$539

26.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.39 SEK 382

$68.8 MX$1,167

-42.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 SEK 262

$29.37 MX$498

-7.97%

Cinema Ticket

$16.49 SEK 160

$4.86 MX$82.5

239.30%

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

$167 SEK 1,616

$226 MX$3,828

-26.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,598 SEK 54.3K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

33.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 SEK 856

$47.38 MX$804

86.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 SEK 388

$43.45 MX$737

-7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 SEK 922

$80.2 MX$1,361

18.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 SEK 1,537

$91.4 MX$1,550

73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 SEK 8,165

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SEK 6,062

$409 MX$6,933

53.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 SEK 13.6K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 SEK 10.9K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-12.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,980 SEK 38.6K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

-1.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,692 SEK 26.1K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-59.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,394 SEK 32.9K

$773 MX$13.1K

338.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-65.07%

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

Last update for Kiruna: September 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Kiruna versus $1,086 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 339% 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 $131 in Kiruna versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $278 – 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: $1,819 in Kiruna, $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 39% apart. Kiruna costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,728 per month in Kiruna and $1,958 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 35% 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 $131 in Kiruna and $47.00 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 $1,305, than in Kiruna at $1,819. 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen to $1,819 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.