Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Varnamo and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,814 per month in Varnamo vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,828 per month in Varnamo vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,842 per month in Varnamo vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Varnamo costs about 41% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Varnamo sits 35% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.57 SEK 117

$11.94 MX$208

5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 SEK 809

$42.75 MX$744

104.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 SEK 113

$10.59 MX$184

15.11%

Cappuccino

$5.05 SEK 46.78

$3.62 MX$63.0

39.50%

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

$2.84 SEK 26.29

$1.47 MX$25.54

93.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.21

$0.94 MX$16.41

120.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 SEK 74.2

$3.09 MX$53.8

158.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 SEK 69.6

$4.46 MX$77.6

68.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 SEK 14.85

$1.43 MX$24.80

11.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 SEK 19.76

$1.88 MX$32.79

13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 27.25

$1.63 MX$28.34

80.37%

Eggs

$4.44 SEK 41.16

$2.64 MX$45.99

68.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 SEK 122

$8.21 MX$143

60.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 SEK 109

$8.29 MX$144

41.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 SEK 156

$11.10 MX$193

51.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 SEK 29.41

$2.65 MX$46.14

19.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.15

$1.50 MX$26.11

88.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.67

$1.99 MX$34.59

39.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 SEK 41.94

$2.08 MX$36.13

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 15.64

$1.79 MX$31.11

-5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 SEK 14.78

$2.18 MX$37.87

-27.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 SEK 24.70

$1.08 MX$18.73

146.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 SEK 11.85

$1.04 MX$18.04

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.20 SEK 76.0

$3.97 MX$69.1

106.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 SEK 113

$10.20 MX$178

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 SEK 18.73

$1.73 MX$30.04

16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 20.84

$2.50 MX$43.46

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 SEK 32.26

$0.52 MX$9.02

569.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 SEK 683

$26.97 MX$469

173.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 SEK 52.0

$3.14 MX$54.7

78.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 SEK 23.70

$2.40 MX$41.80

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$63.8 SEK 591

$3.09 MX$53.7

1965.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 SEK 17.55

$1.27 MX$22.16

48.82%

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

$32.7K SEK 302.8K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

5.77%

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

$34.1K SEK 315.8K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

46.10%

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

$123 SEK 1,138

$82.0 MX$1,427

49.65%

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

$29.26 SEK 271

$22.45 MX$391

30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.11 SEK 372

$29.66 MX$516

35.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.27 SEK 383

$51.9 MX$903

-20.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 SEK 231

$18.67 MX$325

33.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 SEK 164

$4.97 MX$86.5

256.14%

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

$179 SEK 1,659

$198 MX$3,442

-9.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,165 SEK 38.6K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-21.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.2 SEK 743

$36.34 MX$632

120.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 SEK 566

$40.05 MX$697

52.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 SEK 983

$79.9 MX$1,390

32.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 SEK 1,177

$88.9 MX$1,547

42.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 SEK 7,718

$963 MX$16.8K

-13.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 SEK 6,149

$465 MX$8,086

42.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-13.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 SEK 9,870

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-11.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,394 SEK 40.7K

$3,942 MX$68.6K

11.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 SEK 27.9K

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-53.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,169 SEK 20.1K

$720 MX$12.5K

201.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.42

-57.97%

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

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $833 in Varnamo versus $963 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 201% higher in Varnamo, 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 $87.0 in Varnamo versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $251 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,720 per month in Varnamo and $1,930 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 $1,814 in Varnamo and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 173% 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 $1,287, than in Varnamo at $1,814. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Varnamo 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, Varnamo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.