Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Umea

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,608 in Umea, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
Learn more

Umea Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,608 in Umea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Umea $1,608

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,579 in Umea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Umea $2,579

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,550 in Umea, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Umea $3,550

Playa del Carmen is about 24% cheaper than Umea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Umea is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$15.02 SEK 150

-26.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$79.3 SEK 793

-43.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$12.00 SEK 120

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.99 SEK 39.90

-4.76%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$3.20 SEK 31.99

-59.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$2.36 SEK 23.59

-63.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$8.30 SEK 83.0

-61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$7.40 SEK 74.0

-32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.63 SEK 16.29

-10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$3.44 SEK 34.42

-32.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$4.07 SEK 40.68

-64.62%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$3.90 SEK 38.95

-36.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$11.24 SEK 112

-31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$10.73 SEK 107

-26.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$17.23 SEK 172

-25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$2.46 SEK 24.57

18.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.26 SEK 22.63

-37.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.82 SEK 28.16

-8.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$4.30 SEK 43.00

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$1.64 SEK 16.35

18.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.66 SEK 16.60

16.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.49 SEK 24.90

-53.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$1.28 SEK 12.83

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$6.89 SEK 68.9

-36.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$9.89 SEK 98.9

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$2.27 SEK 22.66

-32.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.44 SEK 24.40

11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$2.92 SEK 29.16

-82.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$56.9 SEK 568

-51.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$6.80 SEK 68.0

-27.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$5.02 SEK 50.2

-29.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.74 SEK 17.37

-11.49%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$33.0K SEK 330.0K

-35.69%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$33.6K SEK 336.3K

-27.22%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$86.0 SEK 860

-2.82%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$32.39 SEK 324

-25.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$27.15 SEK 271

8.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$48.96 SEK 489

32.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$35.34 SEK 353

-16.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$16.17 SEK 162

-68.52%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$137 SEK 1,368

51.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$99.5 SEK 995

-55.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$36.44 SEK 364

15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$117 SEK 1,166

-35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$141 SEK 1,405

-35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$736 SEK 7,357

34.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$504 SEK 5,040

-23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,105 SEK 11.0K

55.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$823 SEK 8,227

34.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$4,542 SEK 45.4K

-11.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$3,043 SEK 30.4K

105.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$2,674 SEK 26.7K

-71.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.65

213.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Umea: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Umea

$504 30.7% 30.9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Umea

$350 21.3% 34.4% $90

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Umea

$283 17.2% 38.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Umea

$146 8.9% 6.3% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Umea

$177 10.8% 55.1% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Umea

$81 5% 8.3% $6.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Umea

$100 6.1% 93.1% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $736 in Umea. 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 253% higher in Umea, 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $79.0 in Umea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $350 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇸🇪 Umea

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

12:29 12:29 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

79,594

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Umea 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Umea

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 Umea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Umea is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,413 in Umea. 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $1,608 in Umea. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 107% 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 $1,215, than in Umea at $1,608. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Umea 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, Umea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.