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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,842 in Ostersund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,858 in Ostersund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,874 in Ostersund.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Ostersund is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$13.59 SEK 128

-12.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$72.6 SEK 681

-40.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$10.63 SEK 99.7

0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.70 SEK 44.09

-26.60%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.83 SEK 26.54

-47.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$2.40 SEK 22.48

-60.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$7.86 SEK 73.8

-61.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$7.78 SEK 73.0

-40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.49 SEK 14.00

-7.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.12 SEK 29.29

-40.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$5.11 SEK 47.92

-68.49%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.53 SEK 33.08

-26.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$14.49 SEK 136

-43.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$11.89 SEK 112

-29.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.12 SEK 151

-33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$4.54 SEK 42.61

-42.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.99 SEK 28.06

-50.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.59 SEK 33.66

-46.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.12 SEK 38.64

-49.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$3.76 SEK 35.24

-50.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.76 SEK 16.54

28.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.58 SEK 24.25

-58.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.58 SEK 14.85

-31.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$8.30 SEK 77.8

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.58 SEK 99.2

-1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.93 SEK 18.15

-10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.90 SEK 17.84

37.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$3.31 SEK 31.07

-83.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$75.3 SEK 706

-64.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$6.26 SEK 58.7

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.64 SEK 15.39

53.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$61.9 SEK 581

-94.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.08 SEK 19.54

-38.94%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.7K SEK 306.9K

-7.17%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.9K SEK 318.2K

-30.54%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$113 SEK 1,063

-26.75%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$28.49 SEK 267

-20.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$36.65 SEK 344

-19.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$40.38 SEK 379

26.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$25.07 SEK 235

-26.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$15.37 SEK 144

-67.92%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$129 SEK 1,212

52.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,184 SEK 39.3K

26.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$92.9 SEK 872

-60.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$40.09 SEK 376

-0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$95.9 SEK 900

-16.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$152 SEK 1,429

-41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$825 SEK 7,741

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$645 SEK 6,048

-26.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,386 SEK 13.0K

18.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,062 SEK 9,966

15.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$4,359 SEK 40.9K

-10.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,949 SEK 27.7K

119.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.53

152.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ostersund: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $825 in Ostersund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $73.0 in Ostersund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $386 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 Ostersund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $2,762 in Ostersund to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $825 in Ostersund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,842 in Ostersund – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 180% less than in Ostersund. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,842 in Ostersund, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ostersund. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ostersund, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ostersund 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 Ostersund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.