Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,574 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
Learn more

Stockholm Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,574

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stockholm 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 Stockholm and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,574 per month in Stockholm vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stockholm $2,574
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,871 per month in Stockholm vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stockholm $3,871
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $5,167 per month in Stockholm vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stockholm $5,167
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Stockholm costs about 113% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Stockholm sits 91% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 SEK 180

$10.76 MX$199

68.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 SEK 986

$43.03 MX$795

131.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 SEK 117

$11.79 MX$218

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$4.95 SEK 49.03

$3.87 MX$71.4

27.91%

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

$3.68 SEK 36.46

$1.37 MX$25.29

168.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 SEK 31.28

$0.84 MX$15.44

276.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 SEK 79.8

$3.10 MX$57.3

159.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 SEK 87.4

$5.07 MX$93.6

73.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.80

$1.44 MX$26.55

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 SEK 38.43

$2.23 MX$41.23

73.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.99

$1.47 MX$27.17

160.54%

Eggs

$5.14 SEK 50.9

$2.53 MX$46.71

103.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 SEK 123

$7.30 MX$135

70.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 SEK 125

$7.86 MX$145

60.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 SEK 217

$12.79 MX$236

71.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 34.41

$2.90 MX$53.6

19.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 SEK 27.15

$1.44 MX$26.53

90.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 SEK 30.54

$2.55 MX$47.07

20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 SEK 44.41

$2.06 MX$38.03

117.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.54

$2.00 MX$36.97

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 SEK 17.70

$2.01 MX$37.07

-10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 SEK 23.76

$1.19 MX$22.02

101.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 SEK 23.50

$1.26 MX$23.23

88.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.72 SEK 86.4

$4.40 MX$81.4

98.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 SEK 119

$9.59 MX$177

25.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 SEK 20.90

$1.59 MX$29.41

32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 SEK 25.34

$2.81 MX$51.9

-8.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 SEK 42.96

$0.57 MX$10.47

661.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 SEK 1,063

$27.82 MX$514

285.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 SEK 56.9

$4.98 MX$92.1

15.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 SEK 14.58

$3.50 MX$64.6

-58.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.1 SEK 566

$5.40 MX$99.8

958.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SEK 17.86

$1.47 MX$27.08

22.45%

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

$32.4K SEK 321.2K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

54.46%

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

$33.6K SEK 332.8K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

40.49%

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

$249 SEK 2,469

$84.2 MX$1,556

195.88%

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

$21.60 SEK 214

$23.99 MX$443

-9.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 SEK 398

$29.02 MX$536

38.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 SEK 466

$63.0 MX$1,164

-25.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.15 SEK 378

$29.14 MX$539

30.92%

Cinema Ticket

$19.09 SEK 189

$4.94 MX$91.3

286.44%

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

$158 SEK 1,569

$204 MX$3,763

-22.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K SEK 162.0K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

314.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 SEK 1,104

$43.60 MX$806

155.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SEK 584

$43.12 MX$797

36.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 SEK 1,364

$75.8 MX$1,400

81.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 SEK 1,847

$88.6 MX$1,637

110.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 SEK 16.4K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

64.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 SEK 10.7K

$374 MX$6,911

188.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,982 SEK 29.5K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,746 SEK 17.3K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

57.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.3K SEK 111.8K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

186.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,332 SEK 62.7K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

2.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 SEK 35.5K

$754 MX$13.9K

375.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

11.45

-70.57%

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

Last update for Stockholm: October 13, 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

Stockholm

$1.1K 41.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 65.3% $705

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$414 16.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 37.6% $156

Eating Out

Stockholm

$325 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 37.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$311 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 55.9% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$222 8.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 49.2% $110

Getting Around

Stockholm

$138 5.4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 61.8% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$85 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 14.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,658 in Stockholm 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 375% higher in Stockholm, 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 $100 in Stockholm versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

7 h behind Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

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 18, 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 18, 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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Between locations

Stockholm Playa del Carmen 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Stockholm
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

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

Yes – Stockholm is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,861 per month in Stockholm 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 $2,574 in Stockholm and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 113%.

Public transport costs about 285% 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 Stockholm at $2,574. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockholm 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, Stockholm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.