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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,817 in Kalix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,789 in Kalix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,761 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 7% below, Kalix is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$13.88 SEK 136

-16.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$77.6 SEK 763

-39.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.26 SEK 101

15.79%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$4.74 SEK 46.61

-16.03%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$2.80 SEK 27.48

-48.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$2.23 SEK 21.95

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$7.40 SEK 72.7

-56.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$7.18 SEK 70.6

-5.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.77 SEK 17.44

-5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$2.79 SEK 27.40

-21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$3.73 SEK 36.65

-54.16%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$4.60 SEK 45.16

-40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$12.28 SEK 121

-21.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$12.32 SEK 121

-26.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$17.74 SEK 174

-27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.14 SEK 30.84

-7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.63 SEK 25.83

-42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.06 SEK 30.02

-29.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$4.39 SEK 43.10

-48.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.62 SEK 15.89

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.70 SEK 16.73

17.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$2.38 SEK 23.35

-48.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.52 SEK 14.94

-21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$7.52 SEK 73.9

-39.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$10.61 SEK 104

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$2.07 SEK 20.29

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.34 SEK 22.95

23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$3.53 SEK 34.69

-83.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$80.4 SEK 790

-64.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$6.03 SEK 59.2

-10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.71 SEK 16.79

118.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$61.3 SEK 602

-90.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.85 SEK 18.20

-16.76%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$34.5K SEK 338.7K

-34.59%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$34.6K SEK 340.2K

-24.75%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$108 SEK 1,060

-15.29%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$26.99 SEK 265

-6.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$40.10 SEK 394

-22.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$39.62 SEK 389

69.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$26.54 SEK 261

9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$16.53 SEK 162

-70.60%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$167 SEK 1,640

33.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,192 SEK 51.0K

-18.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$94.9 SEK 933

-50.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$42.99 SEK 422

3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$96.9 SEK 952

-17.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$144 SEK 1,411

-35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$843 SEK 8,286

25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$621 SEK 6,101

-37.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,382 SEK 13.6K

55.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,043 SEK 10.2K

21.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$4,266 SEK 41.9K

-6.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$2,896 SEK 28.5K

124.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.42

234.80%

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 Kalix: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $843 in Kalix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $78.0 in Kalix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $368 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 44% 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 $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $2,725 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $843 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 179% less than in Kalix. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $167 in Kalix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,817 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 $1,266 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 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 44% less than in Kalix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.