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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,081 per month in Malmo vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,224 per month in Malmo vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,368 per month in Malmo vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malmo costs about 66% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Malmo sits 56% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.74 SEK 133

$11.99 MX$210

14.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 807

$41.78 MX$733

99.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.74 SEK 123

$10.75 MX$189

18.51%

Cappuccino

$5.15 SEK 49.73

$3.50 MX$61.3

47.14%

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

$2.68 SEK 25.92

$1.45 MX$25.41

84.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SEK 20.29

$0.88 MX$15.52

138.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 75.5

$2.95 MX$51.7

164.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 SEK 77.4

$4.51 MX$79.1

77.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.76

$1.43 MX$25.12

20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 SEK 29.73

$1.84 MX$32.23

67.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 33.67

$1.57 MX$27.51

121.66%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 43.80

$2.51 MX$44.06

80.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 SEK 120

$8.28 MX$145

49.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 SEK 126

$8.43 MX$148

54.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.83 SEK 259

$10.68 MX$187

151.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 SEK 32.84

$2.61 MX$45.76

30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 28.43

$1.44 MX$25.22

104.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 SEK 31.83

$1.96 MX$34.41

67.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 SEK 46.69

$2.09 MX$36.74

131.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.10

$1.85 MX$32.47

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 SEK 18.76

$2.17 MX$38.02

-10.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 SEK 24.68

$1.03 MX$18.09

147.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SEK 13.00

$1.07 MX$18.84

25.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SEK 76.2

$4.10 MX$72.0

92.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 SEK 113

$10.17 MX$178

14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 23.25

$1.68 MX$29.38

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SEK 26.39

$2.53 MX$44.31

7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 SEK 33.40

$0.51 MX$8.93

578.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 SEK 686

$26.04 MX$457

172.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 SEK 65.3

$3.23 MX$56.7

109.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.64 SEK 25.49

$2.41 MX$42.19

9.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 552

$3.23 MX$56.6

1667.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.41

$1.32 MX$23.17

43.94%

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

$33.0K SEK 318.6K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

11.00%

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

$33.9K SEK 328.1K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

43.46%

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

$155 SEK 1,496

$82.0 MX$1,439

88.71%

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

$29.60 SEK 286

$22.95 MX$403

28.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.55 SEK 382

$30.11 MX$528

31.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 SEK 380

$52.0 MX$912

-24.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.47 SEK 227

$18.53 MX$325

26.66%

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 SEK 172

$4.98 MX$87.3

257.63%

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

$157 SEK 1,520

$197 MX$3,463

-20.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,884 SEK 47.2K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-8.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,013

$35.60 MX$624

194.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.70 SEK 442

$40.33 MX$707

13.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 SEK 1,199

$78.8 MX$1,381

57.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 SEK 1,607

$88.9 MX$1,560

86.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 SEK 8,856

$947 MX$16.6K

-3.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 SEK 7,642

$474 MX$8,314

66.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 SEK 16.4K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

3.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 SEK 13.3K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

13.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,179 SEK 40.4K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

3.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,318 SEK 32.1K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-48.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,148 SEK 30.4K

$654 MX$11.5K

381.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

11.42

-57.44%

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

Last update for Malmo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Malmo versus $947 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 run about 381% higher in Malmo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Malmo versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $412 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 66% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,121 per month in Malmo and $1,884 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Malmo and $197 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 65% more in Malmo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Malmo at $2,081. 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 $1,256 versus $2,081 in Malmo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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