Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kristianstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,898 in Kristianstad, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Kristianstad
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Kristianstad Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Kristianstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,898 in Kristianstad.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Kristianstad $1,898

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,890 in Kristianstad.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kristianstad $2,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,881 in Kristianstad.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Kristianstad $3,881

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 37% less than in Kristianstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Kristianstad is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$14.37 SEK 142

-25.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$76.8 SEK 758

-42.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$12.71 SEK 125

-7.24%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$4.62 SEK 45.58

-17.97%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$2.70 SEK 26.66

-51.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$2.26 SEK 22.35

-63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$7.16 SEK 70.7

-56.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

$7.23 SEK 71.3

-31.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.11 SEK 20.85

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$2.95 SEK 29.15

-25.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$3.17 SEK 31.32

-53.63%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$4.22 SEK 41.66

-40.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$12.54 SEK 124

-41.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$12.13 SEK 120

-34.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$17.26 SEK 170

-25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$3.07 SEK 30.29

-5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$2.57 SEK 25.34

-46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$3.25 SEK 32.11

-23.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$4.45 SEK 43.91

-54.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$1.61 SEK 15.91

25.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$1.71 SEK 16.89

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$2.53 SEK 25.01

-54.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$1.54 SEK 15.18

-19.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$8.37 SEK 82.6

-48.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$10.17 SEK 100

-3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$1.86 SEK 18.34

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$2.33 SEK 23.01

18.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$3.35 SEK 33.07

-84.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

$76.5 SEK 755

-64.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$5.88 SEK 58.0

-19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$1.86 SEK 18.33

74.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$67.4 SEK 665

-92.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$1.71 SEK 16.91

-10.53%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

$36.8K SEK 363.5K

-42.41%

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

$37.5K SEK 370.0K

-37.95%

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$151 SEK 1,489

-44.68%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$41.52 SEK 410

-44.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$48.64 SEK 480

-43.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$37.15 SEK 367

51.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

$22.88 SEK 226

23.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$16.73 SEK 165

-70.11%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$170 SEK 1,674

22.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

$4,603 SEK 45.4K

13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$112 SEK 1,109

-61.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

$37.98 SEK 375

12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$103 SEK 1,012

-29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$143 SEK 1,410

-38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$1,158 SEK 11.4K

-14.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$657 SEK 6,487

-41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$1,662 SEK 16.4K

0.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$1,035 SEK 10.2K

4.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$4,479 SEK 44.2K

-12.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

$2,950 SEK 29.1K

108.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

$2,542 SEK 25.1K

-67.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.38

238.76%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kristianstad: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Kristianstad

$657 34.6% 71.9% $275

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Kristianstad

$367 19.4% 42.7% $110

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Kristianstad

$279 14.7% 39.1% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Kristianstad

$241 12.7% 79.5% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Kristianstad

$178 9.4% 60.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Kristianstad

$71 3.7% 6.3% $4.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kristianstad

$105 5.5% 108% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,158 in Kristianstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kristianstad pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $77 in Kristianstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $367 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇪 Kristianstad

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

18:43 6:43 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,711

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

100 SEK = 10.13 USD

100 SEK = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.87 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.02 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kristianstad 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kristianstad

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 Kristianstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,158 in Kristianstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,898 in Kristianstad – Playa del Carmen is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 64% less than in Kristianstad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,898 in Kristianstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kristianstad. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Kristianstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.