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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,727 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,601 in Karlskrona, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,475 in Karlskrona, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 27% cheaper than Karlskrona, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Karlskrona is 29% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$13.17 SEK 127

-8.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$67.5 SEK 653

-38.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$9.28 SEK 89.9

15.84%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.94 SEK 38.16

-11.17%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.45 SEK 14.06

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$2.51 SEK 24.33

-64.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$7.47 SEK 72.3

-60.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$5.38 SEK 52.1

-16.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.52 SEK 14.69

-5.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$2.82 SEK 27.28

-34.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$4.00 SEK 38.69

-60.75%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.94 SEK 38.11

-36.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.60 SEK 112

-28.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$11.68 SEK 113

-27.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$15.98 SEK 155

-33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.11 SEK 30.08

-16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.53 SEK 24.50

-43.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.04 SEK 29.41

-35.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$4.68 SEK 45.31

-55.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.50 SEK 14.50

23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.56 SEK 15.09

39.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$2.21 SEK 21.37

-53.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.47 SEK 14.20

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$7.16 SEK 69.3

-42.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$12.85 SEK 124

-20.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$2.02 SEK 19.58

-16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.79 SEK 17.32

41.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$2.93 SEK 28.39

-82.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$65.2 SEK 631

-60.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$14.39 SEK 139

-77.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.59 SEK 15.38

51.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$21.13 SEK 205

-84.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.94 SEK 18.77

-31.96%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$33.0K SEK 319.7K

-10.08%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$34.5K SEK 333.9K

-31.39%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$53.1 SEK 514

54.39%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$28.35 SEK 274

-19.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$37.07 SEK 359

-18.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$44.47 SEK 431

16.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$24.19 SEK 234

-23.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$17.06 SEK 165

-70.81%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$142 SEK 1,377

38.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$745 SEK 7,216

615.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$104 SEK 1,003

-65.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$21.05 SEK 204

91.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$83.5 SEK 809

-5.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$155 SEK 1,500

-42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$705 SEK 6,824

34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$692 SEK 6,699

-31.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,146 SEK 11.1K

43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$998 SEK 9,663

21.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$3,021 SEK 29.2K

34.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$2,550 SEK 24.7K

153.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$2,501 SEK 24.2K

-73.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.7

142.98%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Karlskrona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $705 in Karlskrona. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 283% higher in Karlskrona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $67.0 in Karlskrona. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $356 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Karlskrona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Karlskrona is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,591 in Karlskrona. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $67.0 in Karlskrona. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $1,727 in Karlskrona. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Karlskrona at $1,727. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Karlskrona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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