Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Playa del Carmen

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.

80

Cost of Living Index in Umea
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Umea Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Umea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,608

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Umea costs about 32% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 SEK 150

$10.97 MX$201

36.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 SEK 793

$44.85 MX$823

76.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.00 SEK 120

$11.92 MX$219

0.67%

Cappuccino

$3.99 SEK 39.90

$3.80 MX$69.9

5.00%

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

$3.20 SEK 31.99

$1.31 MX$24.08

144.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 SEK 23.59

$0.86 MX$15.72

174.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 SEK 83.0

$3.21 MX$59.0

158.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 SEK 74.0

$5.01 MX$92.0

47.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 SEK 16.29

$1.46 MX$26.77

11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 SEK 34.42

$2.33 MX$42.72

47.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 SEK 40.68

$1.44 MX$26.48

182.64%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 38.95

$2.46 MX$45.20

58.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 SEK 112

$7.70 MX$141

45.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 SEK 107

$7.89 MX$145

35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 SEK 172

$12.80 MX$235

34.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 SEK 24.57

$2.92 MX$53.6

-15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 SEK 22.63

$1.42 MX$26.11

59.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 28.16

$2.57 MX$47.10

9.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 SEK 43.00

$2.14 MX$39.24

100.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 SEK 16.35

$1.95 MX$35.75

-15.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SEK 16.60

$1.94 MX$35.55

-14.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 SEK 24.90

$1.15 MX$21.13

116.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 12.83

$1.22 MX$22.42

4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SEK 68.9

$4.38 MX$80.3

57.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 SEK 98.9

$9.85 MX$181

0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 SEK 22.66

$1.54 MX$28.23

47.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 SEK 24.40

$2.72 MX$49.86

-10.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 SEK 29.16

$0.52 MX$9.64

461.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 SEK 568

$27.42 MX$503

107.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 SEK 68.0

$4.91 MX$90.2

38.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.02 SEK 50.2

$3.52 MX$64.7

42.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 SEK 17.37

$1.54 MX$28.27

12.99%

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

$33.0K SEK 330.0K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

55.49%

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

$33.6K SEK 336.3K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

37.40%

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

$86.0 SEK 860

$83.6 MX$1,535

2.91%

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

$32.39 SEK 324

$24.03 MX$441

34.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.15 SEK 271

$29.33 MX$539

-7.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.96 SEK 489

$64.9 MX$1,191

-24.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.34 SEK 353

$29.46 MX$541

19.96%

Cinema Ticket

$16.17 SEK 162

$5.09 MX$93.4

217.68%

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

$137 SEK 1,368

$208 MX$3,813

-34.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.5 SEK 995

$44.55 MX$818

123.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 SEK 364

$42.06 MX$772

-13.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 SEK 1,166

$75.5 MX$1,387

54.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 SEK 1,405

$91.4 MX$1,678

53.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 SEK 7,357

$986 MX$18.1K

-25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 SEK 5,040

$385 MX$7,072

30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 SEK 11.0K

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-35.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$823 SEK 8,227

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-25.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,542 SEK 45.4K

$4,016 MX$73.7K

13.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,043 SEK 30.4K

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-51.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 SEK 26.7K

$758 MX$13.9K

252.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

11.45

-68.12%

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

Last update for Umea: October 4, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Umea

$504 30.7%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 23.6% $119

Groceries & Markets

Umea

$350 21.3%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 25.6% $90

Eating Out

Umea

$283 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 27.8% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Umea

$177 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 35.5% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Umea

$146 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 5.9% $8.6

Getting Around

Umea

$100 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 48.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Umea

$81 5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 7.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇸🇪 Umea

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

7 h behind Umea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,594

149,923

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Umea
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

Umea vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $2,413 per month in Umea and $1,823 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 $1,608 in Umea and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. 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.