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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,058 in Gothenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,193 in Gothenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,328 in Gothenburg.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 37% less than in Gothenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Gothenburg is 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$13.74 SEK 129

-14.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$93.9 SEK 880

-55.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.34 SEK 97.0

2.90%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$4.73 SEK 44.40

-25.58%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$2.97 SEK 27.84

-49.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$2.53 SEK 23.76

-61.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$7.26 SEK 68.1

-59.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$7.72 SEK 72.4

-42.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$1.68 SEK 15.75

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$2.85 SEK 26.75

-33.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$3.32 SEK 31.11

-50.60%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$4.65 SEK 43.63

-46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.80 SEK 111

-29.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.61 SEK 118

-33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

$19.02 SEK 178

-43.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$3.10 SEK 29.07

-16.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$2.74 SEK 25.67

-46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$2.91 SEK 27.25

-34.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$4.18 SEK 39.16

-50.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$1.66 SEK 15.58

7.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$1.85 SEK 17.34

18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$2.27 SEK 21.33

-54.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.55 SEK 14.53

-30.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$7.82 SEK 73.3

-47.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$15.32 SEK 144

-32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$2.26 SEK 21.19

-24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$2.61 SEK 24.45

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$3.80 SEK 35.63

-86.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$88.6 SEK 831

-70.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$10.11 SEK 94.8

-67.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$1.66 SEK 15.56

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$61.7 SEK 579

-94.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.89 SEK 17.73

-30.69%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$32.0K SEK 300.4K

-5.47%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$34.5K SEK 323.3K

-32.02%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$138 SEK 1,299

-40.15%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$24.95 SEK 234

-10.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$38.25 SEK 359

-23.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$41.78 SEK 392

23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$25.26 SEK 237

-27.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$17.98 SEK 169

-71.80%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$175 SEK 1,646

14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,215 SEK 39.5K

23.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$87.6 SEK 822

-57.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$40.28 SEK 378

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$96.9 SEK 909

-19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$156 SEK 1,466

-44.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$1,125 SEK 10.6K

-13.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$873 SEK 8,190

-46.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,917 SEK 18.0K

-14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,434 SEK 13.4K

-14.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$6,696 SEK 62.8K

-41.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$3,764 SEK 35.3K

72.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$3,953 SEK 37.1K

-83.20%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 495% 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 Gothenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $381 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 59% 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 495% 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 $1,125 in Gothenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $175 in Gothenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Gothenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,058 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 $1,297 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 59% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.