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: $1,904 in Lund versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,030 in Lund versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,156 in Lund versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lund is roughly 52% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lund is 43% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 SEK 121

$11.99 MX$210

4.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 SEK 825

$41.78 MX$733

104.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 SEK 118

$10.75 MX$189

13.49%

Cappuccino

$4.85 SEK 46.92

$3.50 MX$61.3

38.57%

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

$2.81 SEK 27.13

$1.45 MX$25.41

93.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 19.79

$0.88 MX$15.52

132.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 SEK 79.5

$2.95 MX$51.7

178.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 70.8

$4.51 MX$79.1

62.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 15.43

$1.43 MX$25.12

11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 SEK 21.34

$1.84 MX$32.23

20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 29.15

$1.57 MX$27.51

92.36%

Eggs

$4.55 SEK 44.02

$2.51 MX$44.06

81.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 SEK 127

$8.28 MX$145

58.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.78 SEK 114

$8.43 MX$148

39.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.28 SEK 167

$10.68 MX$187

61.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 30.70

$2.61 MX$45.76

21.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 26.81

$1.44 MX$25.22

92.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 26.75

$1.96 MX$34.41

41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 SEK 43.94

$2.09 MX$36.74

117.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.01

$1.85 MX$32.47

-10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 SEK 15.25

$2.17 MX$38.02

-27.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 25.14

$1.03 MX$18.09

152.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 SEK 12.29

$1.07 MX$18.84

18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.18 SEK 79.1

$4.10 MX$72.0

99.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 SEK 109

$10.17 MX$178

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 SEK 18.98

$1.68 MX$29.38

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 21.64

$2.53 MX$44.31

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 SEK 32.33

$0.51 MX$8.93

554.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.4 SEK 652

$26.04 MX$457

158.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 SEK 52.3

$3.23 MX$56.7

67.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 SEK 18.21

$2.41 MX$42.19

-21.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.0 SEK 609

$3.23 MX$56.6

1850.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.40

$1.32 MX$23.17

43.94%

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

$32.7K SEK 316.0K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

10.09%

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

$34.1K SEK 329.9K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

44.24%

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

$122 SEK 1,179

$82.0 MX$1,439

48.70%

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

$28.99 SEK 280

$22.95 MX$403

26.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.22 SEK 398

$30.11 MX$528

36.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.68 SEK 374

$52.0 MX$912

-25.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 SEK 233

$18.53 MX$325

30.01%

Cinema Ticket

$18.17 SEK 176

$4.98 MX$87.3

264.86%

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

$179 SEK 1,730

$197 MX$3,463

-9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 39.9K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-22.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 SEK 776

$35.60 MX$624

125.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 SEK 581

$40.33 MX$707

49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 SEK 1,002

$78.8 MX$1,381

31.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 SEK 1,259

$88.9 MX$1,560

46.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$981 SEK 9,483

$947 MX$16.6K

3.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 SEK 7,371

$474 MX$8,314

60.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 SEK 15.6K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 SEK 12.6K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

7.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,408 SEK 61.9K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 SEK 35.6K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-43.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,972 SEK 28.7K

$654 MX$11.5K

354.57%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $981 in Lund and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lund pays 355% 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: $85.0 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 52% 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.

Average pay runs 355% higher in Lund, 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: $981 in Lund versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,904 per month in Lund versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 52% 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 159% less than in Lund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,904 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 $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, 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 52% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.