Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sala, Sweden

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,555 in Sala, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
Learn more

Sala Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,555

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,555 in Sala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Sala $1,555

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,301 in Sala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Sala $2,301

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,046 in Sala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Sala $3,046

Playa del Carmen is about 23% cheaper than Sala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Sala is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$12.16 SEK 119

-10.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$60.1 SEK 590

-27.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.87 SEK 97.0

19.35%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$3.04 SEK 29.86

25.33%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.74 SEK 17.06

-26.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$2.24 SEK 21.98

-65.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$7.19 SEK 70.6

-55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$7.24 SEK 71.1

-31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.72 SEK 16.90

-18.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$2.57 SEK 25.27

-13.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$3.42 SEK 33.63

-58.48%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$5.26 SEK 51.6

-52.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$11.30 SEK 111

-35.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$12.99 SEK 128

-40.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$22.54 SEK 221

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.90 SEK 28.45

-4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.67 SEK 26.23

-48.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.68 SEK 26.34

-4.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$4.59 SEK 45.08

-53.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.45 SEK 14.22

33.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.13 SEK 11.11

67.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.53 SEK 24.83

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.03 SEK 10.15

14.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$6.96 SEK 68.3

-38.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$6.01 SEK 59.1

65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.01 SEK 19.71

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.76 SEK 17.32

51.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$2.98 SEK 29.27

-81.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$20.73 SEK 204

28.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$5.86 SEK 57.5

-15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.78 SEK 17.49

87.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$81.0 SEK 796

-93.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.70 SEK 16.71

-15.29%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$33.9K SEK 332.8K

-39.02%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$33.6K SEK 330.2K

-30.22%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$178 SEK 1,743

-52.23%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$19.84 SEK 195

17.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$39.07 SEK 384

-26.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$45.69 SEK 449

24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$19.95 SEK 196

44.91%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$16.33 SEK 160

-68.52%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$221 SEK 2,165

-6.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$1,219 SEK 12.0K

222.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$44.53 SEK 437

-2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$34.85 SEK 342

18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$52.4 SEK 515

41.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$55.0 SEK 540

62.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$716 SEK 7,032

36.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$516 SEK 5,069

-26.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$921 SEK 9,041

85.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$713 SEK 7,006

50.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$3,986 SEK 39.1K

-1.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$2,798 SEK 27.5K

120.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$2,432 SEK 23.9K

-69.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.8

308.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Sala

$516 33.2% 35.5% $135

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Sala

$363 23.4% 42.5% $108

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Sala

$230 14.8% 13.5% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Sala

$236 15.2% 72.8% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sala

$84 5.4% 24.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Sala

$78 5% 16.4% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sala

$47 3.1% 6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $716 in Sala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sala are about 3.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $60 in Sala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $363 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇪 Sala

🕒 Local time

21:04 9:04 PM

03:04 3:04 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

22,994

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sala 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sala

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sala is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,333 in Sala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,555 in Sala. That makes Playa del Carmen about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Sala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Sala at $1,555. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sala it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,555 in Sala. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.