Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varberg and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,635 in Varberg, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Varberg, Sweden
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Varberg
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,635
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,635 per month in Varberg vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Varberg $1,635
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,623 per month in Varberg vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Varberg $2,623
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,610 per month in Varberg vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Varberg $3,610
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Varberg costs about 36% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Varberg sits 20% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.35 SEK 153
$10.92 MX$204
40.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.3 SEK 760
$43.37 MX$810
75.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.20 SEK 102
$11.78 MX$220
-13.41%
Cappuccino
$3.83 SEK 38.12
$3.81 MX$71.2
0.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 SEK 11.84
$1.28 MX$23.96
-7.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 SEK 10.15
$0.78 MX$14.63
30.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.18 SEK 61.5
$3.17 MX$59.2
94.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.42 SEK 73.9
$4.93 MX$92.2
50.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 SEK 14.20
$1.41 MX$26.28
1.42%
White Bread (500g)
$2.96 SEK 29.49
$2.22 MX$41.43
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.44 SEK 34.23
$1.42 MX$26.48
142.25%
Eggs
$4.13 SEK 41.08
$2.52 MX$47.14
63.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.77 SEK 127
$7.26 MX$136
75.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.88 SEK 108
$7.70 MX$144
41.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.85 SEK 198
$12.69 MX$237
56.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.97 SEK 29.56
$2.78 MX$52.0
6.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.53 SEK 25.15
$1.37 MX$25.56
84.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 SEK 29.31
$2.55 MX$47.66
15.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.21 SEK 41.88
$2.12 MX$39.67
98.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 SEK 14.63
$1.94 MX$36.22
-24.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 SEK 14.78
$1.89 MX$35.24
-21.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 SEK 25.21
$1.15 MX$21.42
120.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 SEK 9.67
$1.18 MX$22.03
-17.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.77 SEK 67.4
$4.30 MX$80.3
57.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.24 SEK 102
$9.95 MX$186
2.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 SEK 20.59
$1.58 MX$29.59
31.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 SEK 11.74
$2.67 MX$49.91
-55.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.94 SEK 29.22
$0.55 MX$10.34
434.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.8 SEK 774
$26.62 MX$497
192.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.93 SEK 49.11
$4.97 MX$92.9
-0.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.41 SEK 23.94
$3.33 MX$62.2
-27.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.63 SEK 494
$5.36 MX$100
825.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.81 SEK 18.04
$1.44 MX$26.98
25.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K SEK 328.3K
$20.7K MX$386.2K
59.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.6K SEK 334.2K
$23.5K MX$438.5K
43.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 SEK 1,403
$84.8 MX$1,584
66.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.92 SEK 198
$23.41 MX$437
-14.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.69 SEK 295
$28.66 MX$535
3.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.37 SEK 402
$57.1 MX$1,066
-29.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.39 SEK 402
$28.91 MX$540
39.71%
Cinema Ticket
$15.84 SEK 158
$5.14 MX$96.0
208.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$149 SEK 1,481
$207 MX$3,860
-27.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,455 SEK 34.4K
$3,927 MX$73.4K
-12.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.9 SEK 705
$43.35 MX$810
63.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.23 SEK 400
$41.44 MX$774
-2.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 SEK 1,079
$74.2 MX$1,386
46.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 SEK 1,482
$89.3 MX$1,668
66.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$798 SEK 7,943
$980 MX$18.3K
-18.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$495 SEK 4,926
$381 MX$7,116
29.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,221 SEK 12.1K
$1,708 MX$31.9K
-28.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$915 SEK 9,106
$1,075 MX$20.1K
-14.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,532 SEK 65.0K
$3,943 MX$73.7K
65.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,568 SEK 35.5K
$6,158 MX$115.1K
-42.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Varberg
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,103 SEK 30.9K
$735 MX$13.7K
322.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.9
11.45
-83.41%

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

Last update for Varberg: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Varberg
$495
Playa del Carmen
$381 23.1% $114
Groceries & Markets
Varberg
$352
Playa del Carmen
$255 27.5% $97
Eating Out
Varberg
$254
Playa del Carmen
$202 20.3% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Varberg
$191
Playa del Carmen
$137 28.2% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Varberg
$166
Playa del Carmen
$112 32.6% $54
Getting Around
Varberg
$107
Playa del Carmen
$50 52.6% $56
Sport & Entertainment
Varberg
$72
Playa del Carmen
$67 6.6% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Varberg versus $980 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 in Varberg are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Varberg versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Varberg
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
12:05 12:05 PM
06:05 6:05 AM
6 h behind Varberg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
27,602
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.95 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.08 SEK (100 SEK = 9.03 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Varberg Playa del Carmen 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Varberg
  • 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
Varberg vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Varberg?
Yes – Varberg is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,453 per month in Varberg and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Varberg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Varberg and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,635 in Varberg and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 36%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 66% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Varberg or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Varberg at $1,635. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varberg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Varberg or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,635 in Varberg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varberg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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