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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,137 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,208 in Gothenburg.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Gothenburg is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$13.45 SEK 133

-13.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$91.4 SEK 901

-48.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$13.14 SEK 130

-9.59%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$4.97 SEK 48.93

-19.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$3.02 SEK 29.77

-52.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$2.23 SEK 21.93

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$6.88 SEK 67.8

-53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$7.55 SEK 74.4

-10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.73 SEK 17.07

-2.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.72 SEK 26.78

-19.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$3.18 SEK 31.32

-46.23%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.94 SEK 38.82

-30.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.92 SEK 117

-19.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$11.66 SEK 115

-22.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$16.83 SEK 166

-23.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$3.20 SEK 31.51

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.57 SEK 25.34

-41.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.08 SEK 30.40

-30.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.24 SEK 41.82

-46.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$1.85 SEK 18.24

7.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$1.65 SEK 16.29

20.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.98 SEK 19.51

-37.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.73 SEK 17.01

-30.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$8.36 SEK 82.4

-45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$14.27 SEK 141

-27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$2.07 SEK 20.38

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.23 SEK 21.96

29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$3.74 SEK 36.89

-83.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$88.0 SEK 867

-67.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$6.22 SEK 61.3

-13.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$1.71 SEK 16.82

118.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$60.3 SEK 594

-90.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.83 SEK 17.99

-15.85%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$33.4K SEK 329.0K

-32.46%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$34.8K SEK 342.7K

-25.08%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$107 SEK 1,057

-14.81%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$19.22 SEK 189

31.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$35.96 SEK 354

-13.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$37.06 SEK 365

81.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$25.22 SEK 249

15.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$19.54 SEK 193

-75.13%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$229 SEK 2,253

-2.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$4,474 SEK 44.1K

-5.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$89.2 SEK 879

-47.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$33.16 SEK 327

33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$93.3 SEK 919

-14.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$133 SEK 1,308

-30.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$1,045 SEK 10.3K

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$952 SEK 9,380

-59.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$1,862 SEK 18.3K

15.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$1,409 SEK 13.9K

-9.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$6,398 SEK 63.1K

-37.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$3,571 SEK 35.2K

82.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$3,625 SEK 35.7K

-79.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.06

274.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 378% 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 $91.0 in Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $363 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 63% 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, salaries run 378% lower in Gothenburg. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,045 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $229 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 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 $1,266 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 63% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.