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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,051 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,215 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,379 in Gothenburg.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 38% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Gothenburg is 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$13.78 SEK 127

-15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$92.4 SEK 849

-53.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$10.69 SEK 98.2

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$4.78 SEK 43.94

-24.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$3.09 SEK 28.39

-53.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$2.54 SEK 23.34

-64.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$7.29 SEK 67.0

-58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$7.83 SEK 72.0

-41.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.75 SEK 16.06

-17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$2.95 SEK 27.15

-37.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$3.27 SEK 30.03

-50.76%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$4.42 SEK 40.63

-42.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$11.50 SEK 106

-25.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$12.54 SEK 115

-32.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$18.44 SEK 170

-41.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$3.18 SEK 29.22

-14.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$2.66 SEK 24.49

-43.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$2.99 SEK 27.48

-35.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$4.34 SEK 39.88

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.73 SEK 15.92

6.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.89 SEK 17.34

15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$2.19 SEK 20.09

-51.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$1.56 SEK 14.32

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$8.12 SEK 74.6

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$12.52 SEK 115

-16.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$2.25 SEK 20.71

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.51 SEK 23.09

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$3.81 SEK 35.04

-85.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$88.3 SEK 811

-70.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$10.44 SEK 95.9

-69.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$1.59 SEK 14.60

49.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$63.5 SEK 583

-94.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.89 SEK 17.39

-30.69%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$32.8K SEK 301.1K

-6.79%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$35.8K SEK 329.4K

-33.54%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$137 SEK 1,259

-39.30%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$25.60 SEK 235

-13.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$38.36 SEK 353

-23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$41.02 SEK 377

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$25.40 SEK 233

-26.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$17.50 SEK 161

-72.06%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$173 SEK 1,592

14.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$4,218 SEK 38.8K

23.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$88.5 SEK 814

-59.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$39.93 SEK 367

-1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$99.0 SEK 910

-18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$152 SEK 1,393

-42.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$1,140 SEK 10.5K

-15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$873 SEK 8,023

-44.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$1,894 SEK 17.4K

-13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$1,435 SEK 13.2K

-16.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$6,409 SEK 58.9K

-38.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$3,962 SEK 36.4K

64.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$3,940 SEK 36.2K

-81.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.33

163.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,140 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 443% 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $92 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $374 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 Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Gothenburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gothenburg earns 443% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,140 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $173 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,051 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,262 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gothenburg 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 62% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.