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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,865 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,060 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,256 in Lulea.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 33% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Lulea is 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$12.56 SEK 121

-4.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$94.6 SEK 914

-55.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$11.60 SEK 112

-7.33%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$4.87 SEK 47.06

-28.13%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$2.55 SEK 24.63

-43.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$1.97 SEK 19.07

-55.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$8.57 SEK 82.8

-65.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$9.97 SEK 96.3

-54.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.93 SEK 18.70

-25.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$3.42 SEK 33.08

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$5.07 SEK 49.01

-69.03%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$4.74 SEK 45.84

-47.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$12.76 SEK 123

-35.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$14.05 SEK 136

-40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$28.00 SEK 271

-61.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.61 SEK 25.23

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$2.76 SEK 26.67

-47.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$2.60 SEK 25.10

-24.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$4.36 SEK 42.18

-52.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$2.23 SEK 21.55

-17.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.66 SEK 16.00

30.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$3.48 SEK 33.62

-70.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.44 SEK 13.88

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$7.42 SEK 71.7

-44.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$12.34 SEK 119

-17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.88 SEK 18.21

-10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$1.85 SEK 17.93

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$3.36 SEK 32.46

-84.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$58.3 SEK 564

-55.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$9.54 SEK 92.2

-66.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.73 SEK 16.73

39.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$74.5 SEK 720

-95.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.89 SEK 18.27

-30.16%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$32.2K SEK 311.1K

-7.74%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$35.7K SEK 344.8K

-33.66%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$176 SEK 1,697

-53.29%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$31.87 SEK 308

-27.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$28.56 SEK 276

5.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$48.58 SEK 470

6.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$36.54 SEK 353

-49.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$13.73 SEK 133

-63.73%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$163 SEK 1,571

21.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$5,827 SEK 56.3K

-8.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$124 SEK 1,194

-71.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$33.60 SEK 325

20.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$130 SEK 1,256

-39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$170 SEK 1,648

-47.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$806 SEK 7,789

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$589 SEK 5,693

-19.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,441 SEK 13.9K

14.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,081 SEK 10.4K

12.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$3,107 SEK 30.0K

30.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$2,323 SEK 22.5K

178.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$2,654 SEK 25.7K

-75.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.2

171.90%

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 Lulea: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $806 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 306% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $95.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $426 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 306% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $806 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% 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 $42.00 versus $95.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,865 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 $1,256 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.