Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malmo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,092 in Malmo, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Malmo
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Malmo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Malmo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,092

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Malmo and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Malmo and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,092 per month in Malmo vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malmo $2,092
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,149 per month in Malmo vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malmo $3,149
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,206 per month in Malmo vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malmo $4,206
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Malmo costs about 74% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malmo sits 54% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 SEK 149

$10.92 MX$205

38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 SEK 746

$43.37 MX$814

75.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 SEK 120

$11.78 MX$221

3.40%

Cappuccino

$4.94 SEK 48.44

$3.81 MX$71.5

29.66%

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

$3.50 SEK 34.36

$1.28 MX$24.07

173.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 SEK 26.51

$0.78 MX$14.70

246.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.69 SEK 85.3

$3.17 MX$59.5

174.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.11 SEK 89.4

$4.93 MX$92.7

84.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 SEK 16.36

$1.41 MX$26.40

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 SEK 27.91

$2.22 MX$41.62

27.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 SEK 33.76

$1.42 MX$26.61

142.25%

Eggs

$4.12 SEK 40.42

$2.52 MX$47.36

63.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 SEK 129

$7.26 MX$136

81.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.85 SEK 116

$7.70 MX$144

53.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.25 SEK 209

$12.69 MX$238

67.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 SEK 29.11

$2.78 MX$52.3

6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 SEK 25.76

$1.37 MX$25.68

91.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.85

$2.55 MX$47.89

15.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 SEK 41.77

$2.12 MX$39.86

100.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 15.97

$1.94 MX$36.39

-15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 15.26

$1.89 MX$35.41

-17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 SEK 24.65

$1.15 MX$21.53

118.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 SEK 11.55

$1.18 MX$22.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 SEK 80.2

$4.30 MX$80.6

90.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 SEK 112

$9.95 MX$187

14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 SEK 20.11

$1.58 MX$29.73

29.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.29

$2.67 MX$50.1

-11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 31.65

$0.55 MX$10.39

485.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 SEK 627

$26.62 MX$500

140.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 SEK 59.4

$4.97 MX$93.3

21.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 SEK 24.37

$3.33 MX$62.5

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.44 SEK 485

$5.36 MX$101

822.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.55

$1.44 MX$27.11

24.31%

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

$32.6K SEK 320.3K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

57.94%

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

$33.3K SEK 326.5K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

41.78%

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

$144 SEK 1,412

$84.8 MX$1,592

69.64%

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

$25.21 SEK 247

$23.41 MX$439

7.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.19 SEK 394

$28.66 MX$538

40.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 SEK 386

$57.1 MX$1,071

-31.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.48 SEK 289

$28.91 MX$543

1.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 SEK 168

$5.14 MX$96.5

233.07%

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

$168 SEK 1,651

$207 MX$3,878

-18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,352 SEK 32.9K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

-14.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 SEK 1,001

$43.35 MX$814

135.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.62 SEK 448

$41.44 MX$778

10.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 SEK 1,086

$74.2 MX$1,393

49.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,533

$89.3 MX$1,676

75.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 SEK 10.8K

$980 MX$18.4K

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 SEK 8,363

$381 MX$7,150

123.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 SEK 17.3K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 SEK 13.2K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

24.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 SEK 40.2K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

3.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,158 SEK 31.0K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-48.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,979 SEK 29.2K

$735 MX$13.8K

305.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.05

11.45

-73.36%

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

Last update for Malmo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Malmo

$852 40.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 55.3% $471

Groceries & Markets

Malmo

$371 17.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 31.4% $117

Eating Out

Malmo

$304 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 33.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malmo

$209 10%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 34.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Malmo

$187 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 40.1% $75

Getting Around

Malmo

$95 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 47% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Malmo

$74 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 8.5% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,100 in Malmo versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Malmo are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Malmo versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Malmo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

15:18 3:18 PM

6 h behind Malmo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,588

149,923

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Malmo Playa del Carmen 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Malmo
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Malmo costs about 74% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,138 per month in Malmo and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,100 in Malmo.

Kindergarten costs $168 per month in Malmo and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Malmo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Malmo at $2,092. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malmo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $2,092 in Malmo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Malmo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.