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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,758 in Kalix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,745 in Kalix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,731 in Kalix.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 28% less than in Kalix, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Kalix is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.98 SEK 103

8.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$73.8 SEK 692

-41.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$10.57 SEK 99.1

0.76%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.54 SEK 42.57

-24.01%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.70 SEK 25.33

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$2.46 SEK 23.04

-61.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$7.99 SEK 75.0

-62.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$7.35 SEK 69.0

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.59 SEK 14.95

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.85 SEK 26.70

-35.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$3.88 SEK 36.36

-58.51%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.06 SEK 38.06

-36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.99 SEK 112

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$11.66 SEK 109

-28.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$17.16 SEK 161

-37.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.08 SEK 28.92

-14.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.71 SEK 25.40

-45.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.13 SEK 29.38

-38.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.33 SEK 40.59

-51.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.57 SEK 14.77

18.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.79 SEK 16.76

26.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.64 SEK 24.76

-59.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.57 SEK 14.76

-30.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.31 SEK 68.5

-43.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.92 SEK 93.1

4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.90 SEK 17.85

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.87 SEK 17.57

39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$3.43 SEK 32.15

-84.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$74.8 SEK 702

-63.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$6.35 SEK 59.5

-50.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.66 SEK 15.54

51.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$63.3 SEK 593

-95.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.98 SEK 18.56

-35.86%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.0K SEK 300.0K

-5.02%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.8K SEK 326.0K

-32.19%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$116 SEK 1,091

-28.61%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$28.54 SEK 268

-20.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$37.21 SEK 349

-20.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$40.65 SEK 381

25.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$25.22 SEK 237

-27.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$15.70 SEK 147

-68.60%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$149 SEK 1,394

32.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,185 SEK 39.3K

26.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$95.3 SEK 894

-61.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.96 SEK 375

-0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.5 SEK 896

-16.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$149 SEK 1,399

-40.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$828 SEK 7,770

15.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$655 SEK 6,147

-27.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,378 SEK 12.9K

19.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,063 SEK 9,974

15.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,206 SEK 39.5K

-6.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,625 SEK 24.6K

146.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kalix: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $828 in Kalix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $74.0 in Kalix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $359 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 38% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $2,638 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $828 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 178% less than in Kalix. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $149 in Kalix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,758 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 $1,271 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 38% less than in Kalix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.