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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,996 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,963 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,931 in Gavle.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 35% less than in Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Gavle is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$12.89 SEK 121

-9.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$96.5 SEK 906

-56.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.55 SEK 99.1

0.85%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$5.20 SEK 48.83

-32.31%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$2.06 SEK 19.37

-26.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$2.38 SEK 22.37

-59.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$8.59 SEK 80.7

-65.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$8.38 SEK 78.7

-46.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.72 SEK 16.18

-19.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.57 SEK 24.14

-26.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$3.90 SEK 36.63

-57.95%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$4.18 SEK 39.29

-39.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$9.25 SEK 86.9

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.31 SEK 96.9

-19.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$15.00 SEK 141

-28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.33 SEK 31.28

-21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.86 SEK 26.90

-48.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.48 SEK 32.64

-45.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$4.46 SEK 41.86

-53.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.88 SEK 17.68

-5.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.82 SEK 17.09

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$2.60 SEK 24.45

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.56 SEK 14.70

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$7.80 SEK 73.3

-47.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$11.95 SEK 112

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.64 SEK 15.40

4.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.85 SEK 17.34

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$4.01 SEK 37.69

-87.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$58.6 SEK 550

-54.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$4.69 SEK 44.04

-30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.34 SEK 12.56

85.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$48.80 SEK 458

-93.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.82 SEK 17.09

-28.02%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$29.5K SEK 276.8K

2.76%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$33.6K SEK 316.0K

-30.36%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$85.3 SEK 801

-2.80%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$28.10 SEK 264

-20.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$41.37 SEK 389

-29.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$50.1 SEK 470

3.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$15.80 SEK 148

15.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$13.89 SEK 130

-63.50%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$160 SEK 1,507

25.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,622 SEK 62.2K

-21.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$95.4 SEK 896

-61.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$48.67 SEK 457

-18.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$83.0 SEK 780

-5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$157 SEK 1,473

-44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$835 SEK 7,844

16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$897 SEK 8,427

-47.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,737 SEK 16.3K

-5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,272 SEK 12.0K

-4.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$2,020 SEK 19.0K

95.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

354.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$3,285 SEK 30.9K

-79.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.1

178.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gavle: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $835 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 395% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $96.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $344 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Gavle differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,996 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Gavle earns 395% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $835 in Gavle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 121% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $160 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,996 in Gavle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gavle. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gavle 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 54% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.