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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,872 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,058 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,244 in Lulea.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 32% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Lulea is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$12.34 SEK 120

-6.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$807

$96.3 SEK 940

-51.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$11.55 SEK 113

2.86%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.1

$4.50 SEK 43.88

-11.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.45

$2.61 SEK 25.46

-45.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.13

$1.96 SEK 19.10

-58.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.6

$8.72 SEK 85.1

-63.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

$9.71 SEK 94.7

-30.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.71

$1.80 SEK 17.58

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.64

$3.32 SEK 32.39

-33.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.27

$5.01 SEK 48.86

-65.87%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$46.96

$4.66 SEK 45.49

-41.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$12.68 SEK 124

-24.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$154

$13.51 SEK 132

-33.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$219

$26.47 SEK 258

-51.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.49

$2.51 SEK 24.48

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.65

$2.65 SEK 25.88

-43.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.80

$2.54 SEK 24.74

-15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.71

$4.34 SEK 42.32

-47.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.93

$2.16 SEK 21.07

-8.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.09

$1.61 SEK 15.67

23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.15

$3.35 SEK 32.69

-63.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.50

$1.32 SEK 12.92

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

$6.94 SEK 67.7

-34.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$12.23 SEK 119

-15.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.74

$1.79 SEK 17.47

-9.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.35

$1.82 SEK 17.76

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$3.35 SEK 32.71

-82.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$493

$57.5 SEK 561

-49.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.3

$9.38 SEK 91.6

-42.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

$2.11 SEK 20.55

76.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

$70.7 SEK 690

-91.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.32

$1.72 SEK 16.76

-10.47%

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

$22.5K MX$386.3K

$33.1K SEK 323.2K

-31.91%

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

$26.1K MX$446.5K

$35.0K SEK 341.2K

-25.48%

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

$91.4 MX$1,566

$171 SEK 1,668

-46.52%

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

$25.20 MX$432

$31.66 SEK 309

-20.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$535

$26.80 SEK 262

16.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,151

$47.93 SEK 468

40.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

$35.74 SEK 349

-18.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.3

$13.39 SEK 131

-63.70%

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

$224 MX$3,832

$156 SEK 1,525

43.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

$5,572 SEK 54.4K

-24.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$807

$123 SEK 1,205

-61.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$759

$33.51 SEK 327

32.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,373

$127 SEK 1,234

-36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,588

$164 SEK 1,599

-43.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$804 SEK 7,842

32.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,686

$601 SEK 5,869

-35.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.8K

$1,458 SEK 14.2K

47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,100 SEK 10.7K

15.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

$3,121 SEK 30.5K

28.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.4K

$2,309 SEK 22.5K

181.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$2,579 SEK 25.2K

-70.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.85

197.40%

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 Lulea: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $804 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 240% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $96.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $411 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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Lulea. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 240% lower in Lulea. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $804 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Lulea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $96.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,872 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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 Lulea 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 48% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.