Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kiruna

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,742 in Kiruna, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kiruna, Sweden
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Kiruna
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,742
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kiruna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,742 in Kiruna, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Kiruna $1,742

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,892 in Kiruna, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Kiruna $2,892

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,043 in Kiruna, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Kiruna $4,043

Playa del Carmen is about 31% cheaper than Kiruna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Kiruna is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$13.69 SEK 136
-20.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$127 SEK 1,258
-65.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$10.03 SEK 99.6
17.45%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$4.51 SEK 44.82
-15.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$2.59 SEK 25.72
-50.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$2.24 SEK 22.20
-65.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$9.79 SEK 97.3
-67.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$6.39 SEK 63.4
-22.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.71 SEK 17.00
-17.54%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$2.75 SEK 27.31
-19.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$3.41 SEK 33.86
-58.36%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$4.05 SEK 40.18
-37.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$12.35 SEK 123
-41.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$12.00 SEK 119
-35.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$17.56 SEK 174
-27.73%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.08 SEK 30.59
-9.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$2.52 SEK 25.03
-45.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$2.92 SEK 29.01
-12.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$4.32 SEK 42.91
-50.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$1.54 SEK 15.30
25.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.62 SEK 16.04
16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$2.30 SEK 22.88
-50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$1.45 SEK 14.40
-18.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$7.03 SEK 69.8
-38.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$9.89 SEK 98.2
0.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$2.00 SEK 19.89
-21.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$2.29 SEK 22.73
16.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$3.25 SEK 32.27
-83.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$78.8 SEK 783
-66.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$5.98 SEK 59.4
-16.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.73 SEK 17.14
92.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$59.5 SEK 591
-91.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$2.20 SEK 21.85
-34.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$33.5K SEK 332.9K
-38.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$32.9K SEK 327.2K
-28.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$103 SEK 1,027
-17.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$25.42 SEK 252
-7.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$40.39 SEK 401
-29.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$38.00 SEK 377
50.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$25.84 SEK 257
11.88%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$16.00 SEK 159
-67.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$160 SEK 1,592
28.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$5,005 SEK 49.7K
-21.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$96.9 SEK 962
-55.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$39.55 SEK 393
4.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$91.1 SEK 905
-18.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$144 SEK 1,427
-37.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$818 SEK 8,126
19.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$598 SEK 5,934
-36.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,347 SEK 13.4K
26.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,092 SEK 10.8K
-1.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$4,058 SEK 40.3K
-2.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$2,839 SEK 28.2K
116.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kiruna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$3,257 SEK 32.3K
-77.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4
186.25%

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 Kiruna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Kiruna
$598 56.9% $217
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Kiruna
$357 40.1% $102
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Kiruna
$275 35.8% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Kiruna
$169 23.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Kiruna
$167 49.5% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Kiruna
$70 4% $2.7
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Kiruna
$106 111% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $818 in Kiruna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kiruna are about 4.4 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 $127 in Kiruna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $357 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇸🇪 Kiruna
🕒 Local time
16:36 4:36 PM
22:36 10:36 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
22,454
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Kiruna 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Kiruna

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 Kiruna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Kiruna compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $1,742 in Kiruna – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Kiruna?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,613 in Kiruna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Kiruna?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kiruna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $818 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 40% more in Kiruna, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $127 in Kiruna. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Kiruna at $1,742. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kiruna it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Kiruna?
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 $1,742 in Kiruna. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Kiruna?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kiruna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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