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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,885 in Lulea versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,023 in Lulea versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,161 in Lulea versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lulea is roughly 45% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lulea is 41% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$11.73 MX$203

9.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 SEK 875

$41.62 MX$720

125.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 SEK 112

$10.64 MX$184

12.88%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 43.39

$3.52 MX$60.9

32.10%

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

$2.56 SEK 23.88

$1.51 MX$26.12

69.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 SEK 19.25

$0.97 MX$16.84

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 SEK 78.9

$2.95 MX$51.0

186.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 SEK 93.2

$4.45 MX$77.0

124.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.02

$1.38 MX$23.93

39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 SEK 33.15

$1.89 MX$32.72

87.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.02 SEK 46.86

$1.64 MX$28.32

206.10%

Eggs

$4.95 SEK 46.21

$2.51 MX$43.34

97.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 SEK 120

$8.34 MX$144

54.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.97 SEK 130

$8.34 MX$144

67.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.38 SEK 255

$10.73 MX$186

155.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 SEK 25.13

$2.60 MX$45.04

3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 26.15

$1.46 MX$25.20

91.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 24.49

$1.90 MX$32.87

37.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 42.17

$2.08 MX$35.91

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 SEK 20.33

$1.78 MX$30.71

22.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 15.26

$2.19 MX$37.80

-25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 SEK 31.88

$1.04 MX$17.99

228.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 13.53

$1.08 MX$18.62

34.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.45 SEK 69.5

$4.08 MX$70.6

82.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 SEK 118

$10.32 MX$178

22.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 SEK 17.10

$1.71 MX$29.61

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 SEK 16.77

$2.58 MX$44.54

-30.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 31.39

$0.51 MX$8.81

558.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.1 SEK 561

$26.46 MX$458

127.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 SEK 88.9

$3.26 MX$56.4

192.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.00

$2.49 MX$43.09

-31.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$75.1 SEK 700

$3.25 MX$56.2

2209.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.60

$1.31 MX$22.61

44.27%

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

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

5.62%

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

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

48.89%

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

$174 SEK 1,627

$82.9 MX$1,433

110.47%

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

$33.07 SEK 309

$22.22 MX$384

48.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 SEK 265

$29.34 MX$507

-3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.17 SEK 459

$51.6 MX$893

-4.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.67 SEK 342

$18.32 MX$317

100.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 SEK 128

$5.07 MX$87.6

171.20%

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

$159 SEK 1,481

$201 MX$3,473

-20.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

10.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$125 SEK 1,168

$36.92 MX$639

239.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.73 SEK 315

$39.79 MX$688

-15.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,175

$78.5 MX$1,357

60.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$172 SEK 1,605

$87.1 MX$1,506

97.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,376

$973 MX$16.8K

-18.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SEK 5,395

$468 MX$8,090

23.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-13.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 SEK 9,824

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-13.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-15.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-63.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

$664 MX$11.5K

311.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.2

11.42

-63.22%

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

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $791 in Lulea and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 312% 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 Lulea vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Lulea. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lulea pays 312% 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: $791 in Lulea versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $94.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,885 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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, Lulea 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 45% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.