Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Solna and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,760 in Solna, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Solna
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Solna Living Index
59

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

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Solna

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,760

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Solna and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,760 per month in Solna vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Solna $1,760
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $2,721 per month in Solna vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Solna $2,721
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $3,682 per month in Solna vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Solna $3,682
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Solna costs about 45% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Solna sits 30% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.11 SEK 140

$10.76 MX$199

31.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.0 SEK 653

$43.03 MX$795

53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 SEK 111

$11.79 MX$218

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$4.74 SEK 46.94

$3.87 MX$71.4

22.48%

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

$2.26 SEK 22.44

$1.37 MX$25.29

64.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 SEK 14.10

$0.84 MX$15.44

69.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 SEK 74.1

$3.10 MX$57.3

141.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 SEK 72.5

$5.07 MX$93.6

44.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 SEK 13.71

$1.44 MX$26.55

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 SEK 25.13

$2.23 MX$41.23

13.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.82

$1.47 MX$27.17

138.78%

Eggs

$3.88 SEK 38.47

$2.53 MX$46.71

53.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 SEK 90.2

$7.30 MX$135

24.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.75 SEK 126

$7.86 MX$145

62.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 SEK 218

$12.79 MX$236

71.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 SEK 31.53

$2.90 MX$53.6

9.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 SEK 20.08

$1.44 MX$26.53

40.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 SEK 24.29

$2.55 MX$47.07

-3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 SEK 28.93

$2.06 MX$38.03

41.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.54

$2.00 MX$36.97

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 18.49

$2.01 MX$37.07

-6.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 SEK 20.94

$1.19 MX$22.02

77.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 SEK 10.09

$1.26 MX$23.23

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.38 SEK 73.1

$4.40 MX$81.4

67.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.19 SEK 131

$9.59 MX$177

37.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SEK 13.57

$1.59 MX$29.41

-13.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.82

$2.81 MX$51.9

-21.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.17 SEK 41.30

$0.57 MX$10.47

631.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 SEK 948

$27.82 MX$514

243.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 SEK 35.24

$4.98 MX$92.1

-28.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 SEK 24.83

$3.50 MX$64.6

-28.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.4 SEK 796

$5.40 MX$99.8

1387.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.87

$1.47 MX$27.08

22.45%

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

$33.4K SEK 330.5K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

58.92%

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

$32.4K SEK 320.9K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

35.47%

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

$103 SEK 1,022

$84.2 MX$1,556

22.48%

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

$22.72 SEK 225

$23.99 MX$443

-5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.38 SEK 400

$29.02 MX$536

39.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 SEK 375

$63.0 MX$1,164

-39.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.05 SEK 258

$29.14 MX$539

-10.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.67 SEK 145

$4.94 MX$91.3

196.96%

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

$152 SEK 1,505

$204 MX$3,763

-25.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,015 SEK 49.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

27.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 SEK 1,039

$43.60 MX$806

140.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 SEK 400

$43.12 MX$797

-6.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 SEK 860

$75.8 MX$1,400

14.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 SEK 1,334

$88.6 MX$1,637

52.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,869

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-21.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 SEK 6,132

$374 MX$6,911

65.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 SEK 13.4K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-20.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 SEK 10.2K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-6.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,838 SEK 67.7K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

73.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,815 SEK 27.9K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-54.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,500 SEK 34.7K

$754 MX$13.9K

364.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

11.45

-69.17%

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

Last update for Solna: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Solna

$619 35.2%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 39.6% $245

Groceries & Markets

Solna

$345 19.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 25% $86

Eating Out

Solna

$270 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 25.1% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Solna

$166 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 17.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Solna

$165 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 31.5% $52

Getting Around

Solna

$128 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 59.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Solna

$67 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 8.5% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $794 in Solna versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. 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 364% higher in Solna, 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 $66.0 in Solna versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Solna

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:20 2:20 AM

19:20 7:20 PM

7 h behind Solna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,540

149,923

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Solna Playa del Carmen 8,860 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Solna
Playa del Carmen

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

Solna vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Solna is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,641 per month in Solna and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,760 in Solna and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 244% 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 $1,210, than in Solna at $1,760. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Solna 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, Solna makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.