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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,794 in Kalix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,775 in Kalix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,755 in Kalix.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 30% less than in Kalix, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Kalix is 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$10.98 SEK 101

6.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$74.9 SEK 689

-44.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$10.34 SEK 95.2

0.58%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$4.56 SEK 41.95

-20.83%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$2.78 SEK 25.60

-47.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$2.46 SEK 22.66

-63.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$7.88 SEK 72.5

-61.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$7.17 SEK 66.0

-37.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.61 SEK 14.84

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$2.87 SEK 26.44

-35.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$3.81 SEK 35.05

-57.74%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$4.06 SEK 37.31

-36.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$11.98 SEK 110

-29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$11.95 SEK 110

-28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$17.38 SEK 160

-36.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$3.05 SEK 28.04

-10.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.58 SEK 23.72

-41.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.97 SEK 27.31

-34.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$4.55 SEK 41.90

-53.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.62 SEK 14.88

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.82 SEK 16.75

19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$2.61 SEK 24.04

-59.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.51 SEK 13.85

-30.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$7.48 SEK 68.8

-43.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$12.41 SEK 114

-17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.93 SEK 17.80

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.98 SEK 18.21

25.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$3.41 SEK 31.40

-84.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$72.8 SEK 670

-63.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$6.10 SEK 56.1

-49.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.66 SEK 15.24

48.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$61.3 SEK 564

-94.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.88 SEK 17.34

-32.98%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$33.1K SEK 304.6K

-8.88%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$34.6K SEK 318.7K

-32.32%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$113 SEK 1,036

-25.43%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$28.36 SEK 261

-21.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$37.20 SEK 342

-20.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$40.28 SEK 371

30.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$25.09 SEK 231

-26.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$15.71 SEK 145

-68.49%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$148 SEK 1,362

33.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$4,179 SEK 38.4K

27.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$95.2 SEK 875

-62.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$40.19 SEK 370

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$95.5 SEK 878

-17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$151 SEK 1,387

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$835 SEK 7,683

16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$666 SEK 6,131

-29.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$1,411 SEK 13.0K

13.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$1,097 SEK 10.1K

10.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$4,497 SEK 41.4K

-10.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$3,039 SEK 28.0K

116.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.53

152.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Kalix: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $835 in Kalix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $75 in Kalix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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 Kalix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Kalix. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Playa del Carmen and $2,691 in Kalix to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $835 in Kalix. 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 177% less than in Kalix. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $148 in Kalix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,794 in Kalix, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kalix. 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 $1,261 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 Kalix 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 42% less than in Kalix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.