Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsta and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,609 in Marsta, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Marsta, Sweden
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Marsta
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,609
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marsta 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 Marsta and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,609 per month in Marsta vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Marsta $1,609
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $2,571 per month in Marsta vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Marsta $2,571
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,532 per month in Marsta vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Marsta $3,532
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Marsta costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Marsta sits 19% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.05 SEK 127
$10.67 MX$199
22.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.7 SEK 640
$43.80 MX$815
50.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.40 SEK 101
$11.79 MX$219
-11.79%
Cappuccino
$4.54 SEK 44.13
$3.79 MX$70.5
19.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 SEK 19.49
$1.30 MX$24.14
53.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 SEK 18.19
$0.83 MX$15.51
125.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.35 SEK 71.5
$3.15 MX$58.6
133.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.00 SEK 68.1
$4.93 MX$91.8
41.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 SEK 17.40
$1.41 MX$26.22
26.95%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 SEK 30.00
$2.20 MX$40.86
40.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.82 SEK 56.7
$1.47 MX$27.40
295.92%
Eggs
$3.62 SEK 35.27
$2.50 MX$46.46
44.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.05 SEK 137
$7.29 MX$136
92.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.10 SEK 88.6
$7.95 MX$148
14.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.57 SEK 171
$12.86 MX$239
36.63%
Apples (1kg)
$3.02 SEK 29.35
$2.90 MX$53.9
4.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.72 SEK 26.45
$1.38 MX$25.74
97.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 SEK 19.64
$2.49 MX$46.35
-18.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.88 SEK 37.79
$2.03 MX$37.77
91.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.50 SEK 14.58
$2.02 MX$37.68
-25.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 SEK 15.16
$1.90 MX$35.42
-17.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 SEK 20.42
$1.14 MX$21.30
84.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.93 SEK 18.73
$1.24 MX$23.05
55.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.98 SEK 67.9
$4.27 MX$79.5
63.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.31 SEK 100
$9.81 MX$183
5.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 SEK 19.23
$1.59 MX$29.51
24.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 SEK 21.45
$2.75 MX$51.1
-20.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.28 SEK 31.88
$0.51 MX$9.58
543.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.1 SEK 731
$27.39 MX$510
174.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$13.24 SEK 129
$4.76 MX$88.6
178.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.09 SEK 20.34
$3.25 MX$60.5
-35.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$58.2 SEK 566
$5.39 MX$100
979.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 SEK 17.49
$1.53 MX$28.44
17.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.9K SEK 330.1K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
59.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K SEK 325.7K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
43.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.5 SEK 598
$83.5 MX$1,554
-26.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.35 SEK 276
$23.19 MX$431
22.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.76 SEK 397
$27.61 MX$514
47.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.81 SEK 358
$56.4 MX$1,050
-34.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.93 SEK 233
$28.19 MX$525
-15.11%
Cinema Ticket
$17.46 SEK 170
$5.00 MX$93.1
249.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 SEK 2,017
$207 MX$3,854
0.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,528 SEK 53.8K
$5,231 MX$97.3K
5.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.6 SEK 502
$43.45 MX$809
18.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.12 SEK 303
$42.54 MX$792
-26.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.5 SEK 900
$72.8 MX$1,354
27.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 SEK 987
$88.4 MX$1,645
14.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$904 SEK 8,794
$995 MX$18.5K
-9.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$554 SEK 5,396
$382 MX$7,116
45.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 SEK 13.2K
$1,674 MX$31.2K
-18.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,040 SEK 10.1K
$1,081 MX$20.1K
-3.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,648 SEK 35.5K
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-6.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,967 SEK 28.9K
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-51.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marsta
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,668 SEK 45.4K
$832 MX$15.5K
460.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.8
11.45
-75.55%

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

Last update for Marsta: November 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marsta
$554
Playa del Carmen
$382 31% $172
Groceries & Markets
Marsta
$360
Playa del Carmen
$257 28.5% $102
Eating Out
Marsta
$256
Playa del Carmen
$200 21.9% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marsta
$131
Playa del Carmen
$134 2.8% $3.7
Clothing & Footwear
Marsta
$125
Playa del Carmen
$111 10.7% $13
Getting Around
Marsta
$112
Playa del Carmen
$50 54.9% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Marsta
$72
Playa del Carmen
$66 7.4% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $904 in Marsta versus $995 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 Marsta are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Marsta versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Marsta
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:00 8:00 AM
02:00 2:00 AM
6 h behind Marsta
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,068
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.73 SEK (1 SEK = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.95 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marsta Playa del Carmen 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Marsta
  • 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
Marsta vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Marsta?
Yes – Marsta is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Marsta and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Marsta and Playa del Carmen?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $904 in Marsta and $995 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Marsta or in Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Marsta and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Marsta and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,609 in Marsta and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 25% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Marsta or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Marsta at $1,609. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marsta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Marsta or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $1,609 in Marsta. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marsta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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