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: $1,865 in Lulea versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,060 in Lulea versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,256 in Lulea versus $3,017 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

$12.56 SEK 121

$11.99 MX$210

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 SEK 911

$41.78 MX$731

126.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 SEK 112

$10.75 MX$188

7.91%

Cappuccino

$4.87 SEK 46.91

$3.50 MX$61.1

39.14%

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

$2.55 SEK 24.56

$1.45 MX$25.33

75.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 SEK 19.01

$0.88 MX$15.47

123.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 SEK 82.6

$2.95 MX$51.6

190.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.97 SEK 96.0

$4.51 MX$78.9

121.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 SEK 18.64

$1.43 MX$25.04

34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 SEK 32.98

$1.84 MX$32.13

85.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 SEK 48.86

$1.57 MX$27.42

222.93%

Eggs

$4.74 SEK 45.70

$2.51 MX$43.92

88.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 SEK 123

$8.28 MX$145

54.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 SEK 135

$8.43 MX$147

66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.00 SEK 270

$10.68 MX$187

162.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.15

$2.61 MX$45.62

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 SEK 26.58

$1.44 MX$25.15

91.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 SEK 25.03

$1.96 MX$34.31

32.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 42.04

$2.09 MX$36.62

108.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 SEK 21.48

$1.85 MX$32.37

20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 15.95

$2.17 MX$37.90

-23.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.48 SEK 33.52

$1.03 MX$18.04

237.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SEK 13.84

$1.07 MX$18.78

34.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.42 SEK 71.5

$4.10 MX$71.7

80.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 SEK 119

$10.17 MX$178

21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 18.15

$1.68 MX$29.29

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.87

$2.53 MX$44.17

-26.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 SEK 32.35

$0.51 MX$8.90

558.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.3 SEK 562

$26.04 MX$455

123.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 SEK 91.9

$3.23 MX$56.5

195.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 SEK 16.68

$2.41 MX$42.06

-28.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.5 SEK 718

$3.23 MX$56.5

2205.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 18.22

$1.32 MX$23.10

43.18%

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

$32.2K SEK 310.2K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

8.39%

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

$35.7K SEK 343.7K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

50.73%

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

$176 SEK 1,692

$82.0 MX$1,434

114.08%

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

$31.87 SEK 307

$22.95 MX$401

38.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 SEK 275

$30.11 MX$527

-5.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 SEK 468

$52.0 MX$909

-6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.54 SEK 352

$18.53 MX$324

97.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 SEK 132

$4.98 MX$87.0

175.70%

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

$163 SEK 1,566

$197 MX$3,452

-17.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,827 SEK 56.2K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

9.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 SEK 1,190

$35.60 MX$622

246.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.60 SEK 324

$40.33 MX$705

-16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 SEK 1,252

$78.8 MX$1,377

64.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 SEK 1,643

$88.9 MX$1,555

91.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 SEK 7,765

$947 MX$16.6K

-14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 SEK 5,675

$474 MX$8,288

24.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-12.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-10.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,107 SEK 29.9K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-23.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,323 SEK 22.4K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-64.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,654 SEK 25.6K

$654 MX$11.4K

305.90%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Lulea and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 306% 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: $95.0 in Lulea vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 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 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 306% 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 $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% 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 $95.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,865 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 $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, 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.