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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,949 in Lund versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Lund versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,117 in Lund versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lund is roughly 50% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lund is 45% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.42 SEK 116

$11.73 MX$203

5.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 SEK 799

$41.62 MX$720

105.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 SEK 112

$10.64 MX$184

12.59%

Cappuccino

$5.01 SEK 46.78

$3.52 MX$60.9

42.33%

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

$2.83 SEK 26.39

$1.51 MX$26.12

87.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.33

$0.97 MX$16.84

113.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 SEK 77.2

$2.95 MX$51.0

180.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 SEK 70.3

$4.45 MX$77.0

69.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 15.11

$1.38 MX$23.93

17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 SEK 20.80

$1.89 MX$32.72

17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 27.24

$1.64 MX$28.32

78.05%

Eggs

$4.42 SEK 41.20

$2.51 MX$43.34

76.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 SEK 120

$8.34 MX$144

54.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 SEK 106

$8.34 MX$144

36.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.35 SEK 162

$10.73 MX$186

61.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 29.89

$2.60 MX$45.04

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 26.99

$1.46 MX$25.20

97.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 SEK 27.05

$1.90 MX$32.87

52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 SEK 41.23

$2.08 MX$35.91

112.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 SEK 15.61

$1.78 MX$30.71

-6.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.23

$2.19 MX$37.80

-25.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 24.52

$1.04 MX$17.99

152.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SEK 12.01

$1.08 MX$18.62

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SEK 75.6

$4.08 MX$70.6

98.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 SEK 111

$10.32 MX$178

14.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 SEK 18.99

$1.71 MX$29.61

19.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SEK 20.04

$2.58 MX$44.54

-16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 31.92

$0.51 MX$8.81

570.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 SEK 627

$26.46 MX$458

153.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 50.4

$3.26 MX$56.4

65.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SEK 17.74

$2.49 MX$43.09

-23.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.6 SEK 584

$3.25 MX$56.2

1825.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.44

$1.31 MX$22.61

51.15%

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

$32.8K SEK 306.3K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

8.41%

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

$34.3K SEK 319.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

46.33%

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

$123 SEK 1,148

$82.9 MX$1,433

48.43%

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

$28.49 SEK 266

$22.22 MX$384

28.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.60 SEK 388

$29.34 MX$507

41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 SEK 366

$51.6 MX$893

-24.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.29 SEK 227

$18.32 MX$317

32.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.86 SEK 167

$5.07 MX$87.6

252.27%

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

$176 SEK 1,638

$201 MX$3,473

-12.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,218 SEK 39.4K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-19.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 SEK 738

$36.92 MX$639

114.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 SEK 563

$39.79 MX$688

51.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 971

$78.5 MX$1,357

32.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,187

$87.1 MX$1,506

46.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 SEK 9,054

$973 MX$16.8K

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 SEK 7,060

$468 MX$8,090

61.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 SEK 15.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 SEK 12.3K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

7.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,660 SEK 62.1K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

68.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,858 SEK 36.0K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-40.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,140 SEK 29.3K

$664 MX$11.5K

372.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.42

-57.97%

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

Last update for Lund: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Lund and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 373% 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: $86.0 in Lund vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Lund. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lund pays 373% 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: $970 in Lund versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,949 per month in Lund versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 154% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,949 in Lund, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lund. 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, Lund 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 50% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.