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 $2,083 per month in Malmo vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,221 per month in Malmo vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,359 per month in Malmo vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Malmo costs about 65% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Malmo sits 52% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.40 SEK 152

$11.60 MX$200

32.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 SEK 756

$47.11 MX$812

62.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 SEK 120

$11.88 MX$205

2.86%

Cappuccino

$5.10 SEK 50.3

$3.98 MX$68.6

28.14%

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

$3.37 SEK 33.24

$1.43 MX$24.60

135.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 SEK 26.37

$0.82 MX$14.22

226.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$3.19 MX$55.0

181.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 SEK 88.4

$6.79 MX$117

32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.24

$1.68 MX$28.89

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 SEK 29.88

$2.20 MX$37.88

37.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 SEK 35.27

$1.71 MX$29.45

109.36%

Eggs

$4.23 SEK 41.71

$2.74 MX$47.26

54.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 SEK 129

$9.58 MX$165

36.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 SEK 120

$9.01 MX$155

35.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 SEK 217

$12.81 MX$221

71.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.04

$2.89 MX$49.81

5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 SEK 25.85

$1.50 MX$25.81

74.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.30

$2.15 MX$37.03

47.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 SEK 43.75

$2.26 MX$38.96

96.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 SEK 17.14

$1.98 MX$34.15

-12.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.99

$1.99 MX$34.30

-23.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 SEK 24.46

$1.23 MX$21.28

101.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SEK 12.89

$1.20 MX$20.63

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 SEK 76.7

$4.55 MX$78.5

71.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 SEK 116

$10.37 MX$179

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 SEK 19.72

$1.62 MX$27.91

23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 22.85

$2.88 MX$49.67

-19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 SEK 31.49

$0.60 MX$10.35

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 SEK 636

$28.80 MX$497

124.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 SEK 63.3

$5.39 MX$92.9

19.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 SEK 24.00

$3.73 MX$64.3

-34.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 SEK 510

$5.77 MX$99.5

797.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SEK 17.33

$1.54 MX$26.48

14.29%

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

$33.2K SEK 327.4K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

47.35%

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

$33.7K SEK 332.3K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

29.41%

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

$140 SEK 1,384

$91.4 MX$1,576

53.70%

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

$26.87 SEK 265

$25.20 MX$435

6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 SEK 370

$31.24 MX$539

20.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.40 SEK 428

$67.2 MX$1,159

-35.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.75 SEK 293

$29.11 MX$502

2.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 SEK 174

$4.86 MX$83.8

262.76%

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

$172 SEK 1,695

$224 MX$3,856

-23.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,416 SEK 33.7K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

-19.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 SEK 1,012

$47.10 MX$812

118.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.61 SEK 459

$44.29 MX$764

5.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 SEK 1,120

$80.1 MX$1,381

41.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 SEK 1,542

$92.7 MX$1,598

68.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 SEK 10.3K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 SEK 8,044

$390 MX$6,728

109.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 SEK 17.2K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 13.6K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

8.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 SEK 41.5K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

5.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,287 SEK 32.4K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-49.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,113 SEK 30.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

310.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

11.45

-73.62%

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

Last update for Malmo: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,044 in Malmo versus $1,063 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 311% 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 $77.0 in Malmo versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $276 – 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 65% 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 $3,125 per month in Malmo and $1,899 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 $172 per month in Malmo and $224 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 39% 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 $1,266, than in Malmo at $2,083. 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 $1,266 versus $2,083 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.