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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,614 in Trollhattan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,485 in Trollhattan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,355 in Trollhattan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 20% cheaper than Trollhattan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Trollhattan is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$12.53 SEK 119

-6.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$788

$83.6 SEK 797

-44.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$11.76 SEK 112

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$2.58 SEK 24.58

58.53%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.34 SEK 12.82

2.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$1.38 SEK 13.21

-39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$7.96 SEK 75.9

-57.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$7.60 SEK 72.4

-9.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.20

$1.37 SEK 13.09

26.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.21

$2.27 SEK 21.66

-0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.91

$2.68 SEK 25.56

-33.96%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.19

$3.92 SEK 37.35

-30.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$9.87 SEK 94.1

-6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$9.47 SEK 90.3

-5.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.49 SEK 148

-18.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$1.33 SEK 12.69

127.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.55

$2.53 SEK 24.08

-37.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.93

$2.86 SEK 27.30

-25.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.28

$2.37 SEK 22.57

-4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.88

$1.53 SEK 14.56

30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.90

$1.28 SEK 12.19

60.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$2.04 SEK 19.45

-42.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.12 SEK 10.68

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.4

$7.72 SEK 73.6

-40.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.55 SEK 81.5

25.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.38

$1.47 SEK 14.02

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.70

$1.95 SEK 18.56

47.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$3.80 SEK 36.19

-85.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$82.2 SEK 784

-63.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$3.71 SEK 35.42

46.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$1.87 SEK 17.79

97.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$57.2 SEK 545

-89.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.26

$1.86 SEK 17.76

-16.67%

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

$22.3K MX$377.4K

$33.8K SEK 322.0K

-33.89%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$33.8K SEK 322.3K

-23.23%

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

$89.1 MX$1,507

$186 SEK 1,778

-52.20%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$23.76 SEK 227

5.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$36.24 SEK 346

-13.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,146

$35.47 SEK 338

91.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$34.60 SEK 330

-16.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.4

$15.18 SEK 145

-66.73%

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

$225 MX$3,803

$157 SEK 1,499

43.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$5,263 SEK 50.2K

-19.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$101 SEK 961

-52.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$41.62 SEK 397

8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$92.5 SEK 882

-11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,557

$95.2 SEK 908

-3.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$657 SEK 6,267

62.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,852

$518 SEK 4,940

-21.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,075 SEK 10.2K

80.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$820 SEK 7,817

58.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,085 SEK 29.4K

29.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$2,588 SEK 24.7K

156.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$3,311 SEK 31.6K

-77.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.53

224.36%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Trollhattan: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $657 in Trollhattan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 342% higher in Trollhattan, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $84.0 in Trollhattan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $288 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Trollhattan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Trollhattan is pricier by about 25%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,422 in Trollhattan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $1,614 in Trollhattan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 176% less in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,293, than in Trollhattan at $1,614. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Trollhattan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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