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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,885 in Lulea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,023 in Lulea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,161 in Lulea.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 31% less than in Lulea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Lulea is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$12.89 SEK 120

-9.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$93.8 SEK 875

-55.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$12.01 SEK 112

-11.41%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$4.65 SEK 43.39

-24.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$2.56 SEK 23.88

-41.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$2.06 SEK 19.25

-52.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$8.46 SEK 78.9

-65.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$9.98 SEK 93.2

-55.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.93 SEK 18.02

-28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$3.55 SEK 33.15

-46.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$5.02 SEK 46.86

-67.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$4.95 SEK 46.21

-49.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.91 SEK 120

-35.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$13.97 SEK 130

-40.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$27.38 SEK 255

-60.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.69 SEK 25.13

-3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.80 SEK 26.15

-47.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.62 SEK 24.49

-27.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$4.52 SEK 42.17

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.18 SEK 20.33

-18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.64 SEK 15.26

33.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$3.42 SEK 31.88

-69.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.45 SEK 13.53

-25.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$7.45 SEK 69.5

-45.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$12.66 SEK 118

-18.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.83 SEK 17.10

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.80 SEK 16.77

43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$3.36 SEK 31.39

-84.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$60.1 SEK 561

-56.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$9.53 SEK 88.9

-65.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.71 SEK 16.00

45.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$75.1 SEK 700

-95.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.89 SEK 17.60

-30.69%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$32.0K SEK 298.4K

-5.32%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$34.9K SEK 325.5K

-32.84%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$174 SEK 1,627

-52.49%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$33.07 SEK 309

-32.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$28.42 SEK 265

3.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$49.17 SEK 459

5.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$36.67 SEK 342

-50.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$13.75 SEK 128

-63.13%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$159 SEK 1,481

26.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,764 SEK 53.8K

-9.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$125 SEK 1,168

-70.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$33.73 SEK 315

17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$126 SEK 1,175

-37.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$172 SEK 1,605

-49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$791 SEK 7,376

23.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$578 SEK 5,395

-19.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,413 SEK 13.2K

16.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,053 SEK 9,824

15.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$3,337 SEK 31.1K

18.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$2,379 SEK 22.2K

173.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$2,732 SEK 25.5K

-75.70%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lulea: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $791 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 312% 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 $94.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $428 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 45% 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, Lulea earns 312% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% 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 $94.0 in Lulea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,885 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 $1,297 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 45% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.