Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,692 in Varnamo, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Varnamo
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Varnamo Living Index
58

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

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Varnamo

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,692

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Varnamo vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Varnamo $1,692
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,672 per month in Varnamo vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Varnamo $2,672
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,652 per month in Varnamo vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Varnamo $3,652
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Varnamo costs about 41% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Varnamo sits 24% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.01 SEK 128

$10.92 MX$205

19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 SEK 880

$43.37 MX$814

106.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 SEK 120

$11.78 MX$221

3.82%

Cappuccino

$4.68 SEK 45.91

$3.81 MX$71.5

22.83%

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

$2.72 SEK 26.67

$1.28 MX$24.07

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 20.90

$0.78 MX$14.70

173.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 SEK 76.7

$3.17 MX$59.5

146.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.08 SEK 69.5

$4.93 MX$92.7

43.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SEK 16.83

$1.41 MX$26.40

21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 SEK 24.51

$2.22 MX$41.62

12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 SEK 34.78

$1.42 MX$26.61

149.30%

Eggs

$4.63 SEK 45.42

$2.52 MX$47.36

83.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 SEK 123

$7.26 MX$136

73.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 115

$7.70 MX$144

52.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 SEK 154

$12.69 MX$238

23.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 30.55

$2.78 MX$52.3

11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.01

$1.37 MX$25.68

86.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.66

$2.55 MX$47.89

10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 44.35

$2.12 MX$39.86

113.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.92

$1.94 MX$36.39

-11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 SEK 13.85

$1.89 MX$35.41

-25.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 SEK 25.23

$1.15 MX$21.53

123.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 SEK 14.95

$1.18 MX$22.13

28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.81 SEK 76.7

$4.30 MX$80.6

81.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 SEK 109

$9.95 MX$187

11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 18.99

$1.58 MX$29.73

22.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 SEK 25.94

$2.67 MX$50.1

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 SEK 31.33

$0.55 MX$10.39

480.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 SEK 733

$26.62 MX$500

180.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 SEK 49.48

$4.97 MX$93.3

1.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 SEK 10.58

$3.33 MX$62.5

-67.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.06 SEK 403

$5.36 MX$101

666.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.87

$1.44 MX$27.11

19.44%

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

$33.6K SEK 329.5K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

62.48%

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

$34.2K SEK 336.1K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

45.95%

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

$77.0 SEK 755

$84.8 MX$1,592

-9.25%

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

$17.22 SEK 169

$23.41 MX$439

-26.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.45 SEK 299

$28.66 MX$538

6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.03 SEK 383

$57.1 MX$1,071

-31.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.33 SEK 219

$28.91 MX$543

-22.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 SEK 151

$5.14 MX$96.5

198.83%

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

$157 SEK 1,539

$207 MX$3,878

-24.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,450 SEK 43.7K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 SEK 789

$43.35 MX$814

85.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 SEK 557

$41.44 MX$778

36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 SEK 980

$74.2 MX$1,393

34.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 SEK 1,208

$89.3 MX$1,676

37.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,795

$980 MX$18.4K

-18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 SEK 6,003

$381 MX$7,150

60.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 SEK 11.6K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-31.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 SEK 9,664

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,023 SEK 39.5K

$3,943 MX$74.0K

2.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,853 SEK 28.0K

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-53.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,032 SEK 19.9K

$735 MX$13.8K

176.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.03

11.45

-73.54%

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

Last update for Varnamo: October 24, 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

Varnamo

$612 36.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 37.7% $231

Groceries & Markets

Varnamo

$357 21.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 28.6% $102

Eating Out

Varnamo

$269 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 24.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Varnamo

$162 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 31.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varnamo

$125 7.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 9.8% $12

Getting Around

Varnamo

$98 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 48.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Varnamo

$70 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 3.5% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $794 in Varnamo 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 Varnamo are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Varnamo versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Varnamo

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

6 h behind Varnamo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,778

149,923

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.19 USD

100 SEK = 9.13 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Varnamo Playa del Carmen 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Varnamo
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

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

Yes – Varnamo is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Varnamo and $1,806 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 Varnamo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $794 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Varnamo and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 29% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 64% 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 $1,204, than in Varnamo at $1,692. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varnamo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 $1,692 in Varnamo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Varnamo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.