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: $1,919 in Lulea versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,101 in Lulea versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,283 in Lulea versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lulea is roughly 48% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lulea is 40% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.44 SEK 120

$11.71 MX$199

6.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 SEK 954

$46.59 MX$791

112.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 SEK 112

$11.65 MX$198

-0.52%

Cappuccino

$4.58 SEK 44.07

$4.09 MX$69.5

11.98%

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

$2.64 SEK 25.39

$1.37 MX$23.34

92.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 18.94

$0.83 MX$14.16

137.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.32 SEK 89.8

$3.35 MX$56.9

178.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.80 SEK 94.4

$6.91 MX$117

41.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 SEK 18.01

$1.73 MX$29.33

8.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 SEK 33.03

$2.26 MX$38.39

51.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 SEK 47.27

$1.77 MX$30.05

177.40%

Eggs

$4.67 SEK 44.95

$2.73 MX$46.41

71.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 122

$9.18 MX$156

37.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 SEK 131

$8.92 MX$151

52.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.73 SEK 267

$12.60 MX$214

120.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 SEK 25.59

$3.02 MX$51.3

-11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.20

$1.57 MX$26.68

79.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.06

$2.13 MX$36.10

17.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 SEK 41.88

$2.26 MX$38.46

92.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 SEK 21.40

$2.00 MX$34.04

11.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.95

$2.06 MX$35.06

-24.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.44 SEK 33.16

$1.18 MX$20.04

191.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.37

$1.20 MX$20.45

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 SEK 69.1

$4.63 MX$78.7

54.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 SEK 122

$10.69 MX$182

18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.14

$1.62 MX$27.50

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 SEK 17.71

$2.88 MX$48.93

-36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.96

$0.57 MX$9.74

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.6 SEK 555

$29.83 MX$507

93.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 SEK 91.6

$5.45 MX$92.5

74.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 SEK 21.67

$3.70 MX$62.9

-39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 SEK 693

$5.98 MX$102

1102.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 16.98

$1.55 MX$26.38

13.55%

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

$33.5K SEK 322.7K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

50.05%

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

$35.8K SEK 344.4K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

37.82%

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

$173 SEK 1,663

$89.1 MX$1,514

93.76%

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

$32.34 SEK 312

$25.04 MX$425

29.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.89 SEK 269

$31.50 MX$535

-11.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 SEK 475

$67.8 MX$1,151

-27.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.98 SEK 356

$28.92 MX$491

27.87%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 SEK 130

$5.05 MX$85.8

166.53%

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

$161 SEK 1,552

$225 MX$3,820

-28.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,808 SEK 55.9K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

37.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 SEK 1,182

$47.44 MX$806

158.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.18 SEK 329

$44.98 MX$764

-24.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 SEK 1,211

$82.0 MX$1,392

53.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,599

$92.1 MX$1,564

80.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,766

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 SEK 5,775

$405 MX$6,884

47.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 SEK 14.8K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-20.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 SEK 11.1K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-11.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,240 SEK 31.2K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-18.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,346 SEK 22.6K

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-64.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,633 SEK 25.4K

$749 MX$12.7K

251.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

11.45

-66.38%

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

Last update for Lulea: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 252% 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: $99.0 in Lulea vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $277 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 48% 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.

Average pay runs 252% higher in Lulea, 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: $806 in Lulea versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 $47.00 versus $99.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,919 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 $1,293 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 48% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.