Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Halmstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,608 in Halmstad, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Halmstad
Learn more

Halmstad Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Halmstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Halmstad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Halmstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,608 in Halmstad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Halmstad $1,608

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,517 in Halmstad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Halmstad $2,517

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,426 in Halmstad, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Halmstad $3,426

Playa del Carmen is about 25% cheaper than Halmstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Halmstad is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$13.09 SEK 130

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$70.6 SEK 701

-38.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$11.47 SEK 114

2.70%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.67 SEK 46.42

-18.42%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.86 SEK 28.43

-55.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$2.38 SEK 23.62

-67.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$7.02 SEK 69.7

-54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.18 SEK 71.3

-31.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.49 SEK 14.79

-5.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$2.49 SEK 24.73

-10.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$3.16 SEK 31.38

-55.06%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.34 SEK 33.14

-24.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$11.17 SEK 111

-35.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$8.98 SEK 89.2

-14.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$16.48 SEK 164

-23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$3.12 SEK 31.00

-10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$2.53 SEK 25.13

-45.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$2.99 SEK 29.71

-14.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$3.99 SEK 39.61

-46.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$1.53 SEK 15.22

26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.48 SEK 14.66

27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$1.97 SEK 19.52

-41.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.86 SEK 8.49

37.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$6.58 SEK 65.4

-34.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$10.43 SEK 104

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.01 SEK 19.97

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$2.24 SEK 22.25

19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$2.82 SEK 28.05

-80.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$65.4 SEK 649

-59.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$6.06 SEK 60.2

-17.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.65 SEK 16.42

101.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$59.1 SEK 587

-90.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.83 SEK 18.18

-21.31%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$33.2K SEK 329.7K

-37.74%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$33.3K SEK 330.4K

-29.47%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$105 SEK 1,042

-19.17%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$19.73 SEK 196

18.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$34.15 SEK 339

-16.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$34.85 SEK 346

63.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$16.80 SEK 167

-69.40%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$149 SEK 1,482

38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$4,359 SEK 43.3K

-9.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$88.7 SEK 880

-51.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$32.58 SEK 324

27.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$89.1 SEK 885

-16.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$130 SEK 1,290

-31.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$586 SEK 5,821

67.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$553 SEK 5,496

-31.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,119 SEK 11.1K

52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$972 SEK 9,650

10.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$4,339 SEK 43.1K

-9.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$2,263 SEK 22.5K

-67.54%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Halmstad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Halmstad

$553 34.4% 45.3% $173

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Halmstad

$317 19.7% 24.6% $63

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Halmstad

$266 16.5% 31.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Halmstad

$159 9.9% 16% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Halmstad

$153 9.5% 37.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Halmstad

$68 4.3% 1.7% $1.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Halmstad

$91 5.7% 80.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $586 in Halmstad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Halmstad are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $71 in Halmstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $317 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇪 Halmstad

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

01:13 1:13 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

55,688

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 SEK = 10.07 USD

100 SEK = 9.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Halmstad 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Halmstad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Halmstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Halmstad costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,412 in Halmstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Halmstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $586 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Halmstad, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $71 in Halmstad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Halmstad at $1,608. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Halmstad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,608 in Halmstad. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Halmstad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.