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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,060 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,021 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,982 in Gavle.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 39% less than in Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Gavle is 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$12.88 SEK 125

-6.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$94.2 SEK 912

-55.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$10.48 SEK 101

2.58%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$5.07 SEK 49.06

-30.97%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$2.14 SEK 20.75

-32.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$2.46 SEK 23.80

-64.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$8.19 SEK 79.3

-63.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$8.63 SEK 83.6

-47.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.72 SEK 16.67

-16.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.52 SEK 24.43

-26.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$3.90 SEK 37.74

-59.74%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$4.02 SEK 38.89

-37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.39 SEK 90.9

-11.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$10.25 SEK 99.2

-17.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$14.76 SEK 143

-27.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.30 SEK 31.98

-20.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.86 SEK 27.66

-49.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.46 SEK 33.53

-43.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.57 SEK 44.27

-54.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.85 SEK 17.89

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.87 SEK 18.07

16.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$2.63 SEK 25.50

-60.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.56 SEK 15.12

-31.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$7.98 SEK 77.3

-48.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$11.55 SEK 112

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.66 SEK 16.08

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.85 SEK 17.88

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$3.93 SEK 38.01

-87.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$57.4 SEK 556

-54.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.68 SEK 45.34

-30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.32 SEK 12.79

82.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$49.27 SEK 477

-93.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.88 SEK 18.17

-29.79%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$29.1K SEK 282.1K

1.92%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.6K SEK 325.3K

-29.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$112 SEK 1,084

-26.75%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$28.71 SEK 278

-20.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$41.73 SEK 404

-27.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$50.2 SEK 486

3.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$16.20 SEK 157

14.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$14.19 SEK 137

-64.90%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$159 SEK 1,536

24.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,129 SEK 40.0K

29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$99.1 SEK 959

-64.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$48.72 SEK 472

-17.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$83.8 SEK 811

-6.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$160 SEK 1,547

-44.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$839 SEK 8,119

12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$897 SEK 8,680

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,716 SEK 16.6K

-4.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,248 SEK 12.1K

-2.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,990 SEK 19.3K

103.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

362.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$3,214 SEK 31.1K

-79.66%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $839 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 392% 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 $94.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $342 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 64% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $2,060 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 392% lower in Gavle. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $839 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 120% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $159 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,060 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 64% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.