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: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,471 in Gavle.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,348 in Gavle.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,226 in Gavle.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 12% less than in Gavle, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Gavle is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$12.47 SEK 119

-6.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$89.8 SEK 859

-48.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.68 SEK 92.6

20.35%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$5.26 SEK 50.3

-22.24%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$2.12 SEK 20.24

-35.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$2.41 SEK 23.06

-65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$8.32 SEK 79.6

-59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$7.34 SEK 70.2

-5.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.73 SEK 16.56

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$2.63 SEK 25.15

-14.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$3.99 SEK 38.15

-55.64%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$3.90 SEK 37.28

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$9.72 SEK 93.0

-5.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$10.92 SEK 105

-18.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$19.50 SEK 187

-35.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$3.11 SEK 29.79

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$2.83 SEK 27.06

-44.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$3.20 SEK 30.63

-33.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$4.60 SEK 43.97

-50.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.72 SEK 16.48

16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.88 SEK 18.00

9.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$2.56 SEK 24.51

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$2.07 SEK 19.77

-42.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$8.30 SEK 79.4

-44.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$11.54 SEK 110

-7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.69 SEK 16.15

-4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$1.64 SEK 15.71

75.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$3.42 SEK 32.67

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$62.3 SEK 596

-52.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$4.73 SEK 45.22

15.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.55 SEK 14.79

138.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$35.03 SEK 335

-82.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.91 SEK 18.26

-18.85%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

-16.92%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

-9.98%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$55.4 SEK 530

61.00%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$22.54 SEK 216

11.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$39.89 SEK 382

-21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$48.53 SEK 464

39.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$15.71 SEK 150

-67.85%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$138 SEK 1,316

63.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

-72.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$74.3 SEK 711

-36.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$57.3 SEK 548

-21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$52.1 SEK 499

57.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$94.7 SEK 905

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$583 SEK 5,575

83.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$443 SEK 4,236

-8.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$817 SEK 7,814

136.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$685 SEK 6,553

89.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

99.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

382.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

-76.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.31

245.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $583 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 330% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $90.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $365 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,471 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 330% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $583 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 109% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $138 in Gavle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,471 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 14% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.