Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vasteras and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,813 in Vasteras, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Vasteras, Sweden
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Vasteras
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,813
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,813 per month in Vasteras vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Vasteras $1,813
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,791 per month in Vasteras vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Vasteras $2,791
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,769 per month in Vasteras vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Vasteras $3,769
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Vasteras costs about 51% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Vasteras sits 33% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.81 SEK 136
$10.92 MX$205
26.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.2 SEK 640
$43.37 MX$814
50.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.03 SEK 98.5
$11.78 MX$221
-14.86%
Cappuccino
$4.36 SEK 42.80
$3.81 MX$71.5
14.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 SEK 22.13
$1.28 MX$24.07
75.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 SEK 21.26
$0.78 MX$14.70
178.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.21 SEK 70.8
$3.17 MX$59.5
127.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.88 SEK 67.5
$4.93 MX$92.7
39.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 SEK 14.14
$1.41 MX$26.40
2.13%
White Bread (500g)
$2.90 SEK 28.45
$2.22 MX$41.62
30.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.71 SEK 36.44
$1.42 MX$26.61
161.27%
Eggs
$3.97 SEK 38.93
$2.52 MX$47.36
57.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.30 SEK 121
$7.26 MX$136
69.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.99 SEK 127
$7.70 MX$144
68.70%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.60 SEK 222
$12.69 MX$238
78.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 SEK 31.28
$2.78 MX$52.3
14.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.43 SEK 23.89
$1.37 MX$25.68
77.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.59 SEK 35.27
$2.55 MX$47.89
40.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 SEK 42.59
$2.12 MX$39.86
104.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 SEK 14.12
$1.94 MX$36.39
-25.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.72 SEK 16.87
$1.89 MX$35.41
-8.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 SEK 21.05
$1.15 MX$21.53
86.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.51 SEK 14.79
$1.18 MX$22.13
27.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.00 SEK 68.7
$4.30 MX$80.6
62.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.43 SEK 132
$9.95 MX$187
34.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 SEK 13.00
$1.58 MX$29.73
-15.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 SEK 20.75
$2.67 MX$50.1
-20.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.30 SEK 32.35
$0.55 MX$10.39
500.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.4 SEK 700
$26.62 MX$500
168.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 SEK 35.21
$4.97 MX$93.3
-27.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.53 SEK 24.85
$3.33 MX$62.5
-24.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$81.6 SEK 800
$5.36 MX$101
1421.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 SEK 16.46
$1.44 MX$27.11
16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5K SEK 319.1K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
57.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K SEK 325.8K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
41.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 SEK 1,778
$84.8 MX$1,592
113.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.35 SEK 219
$23.41 MX$439
-4.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.02 SEK 432
$28.66 MX$538
53.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.62 SEK 340
$57.1 MX$1,071
-39.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.41 SEK 200
$28.91 MX$543
-29.40%
Cinema Ticket
$16.31 SEK 160
$5.14 MX$96.5
217.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$153 SEK 1,500
$207 MX$3,878
-26.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,923 SEK 48.3K
$3,927 MX$73.7K
25.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$103 SEK 1,007
$43.35 MX$814
136.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.67 SEK 389
$41.44 MX$778
-4.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.1 SEK 864
$74.2 MX$1,393
18.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$136 SEK 1,339
$89.3 MX$1,676
52.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$757 SEK 7,430
$980 MX$18.4K
-22.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$590 SEK 5,786
$381 MX$7,150
54.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,325 SEK 13.0K
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-22.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,037 SEK 10.2K
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-3.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,597 SEK 35.3K
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-8.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,463 SEK 24.2K
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-60.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vasteras
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,991 SEK 29.4K
$735 MX$13.8K
307.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.53
11.45
-69.17%

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

Last update for Vasteras: 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
Vasteras
$590
Playa del Carmen
$381 35.4% $209
Groceries & Markets
Vasteras
$383
Playa del Carmen
$255 33.4% $128
Eating Out
Vasteras
$260
Playa del Carmen
$202 22.3% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vasteras
$248
Playa del Carmen
$137 44.7% $111
Clothing & Footwear
Vasteras
$165
Playa del Carmen
$112 32.3% $53
Getting Around
Vasteras
$101
Playa del Carmen
$50 50% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Vasteras
$67
Playa del Carmen
$67 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $757 in Vasteras 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 Vasteras are about 4.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Vasteras versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Vasteras
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
00:23 12:23 AM
18:23 6:23 PM
6 h behind Vasteras
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
110,877
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vasteras Playa del Carmen 8,770 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vasteras
  • 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
Vasteras vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Vasteras?
Yes – Vasteras is pricier by about 51%, 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 $2,720 per month in Vasteras 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 Vasteras, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $757 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Vasteras and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,813 in Vasteras and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 34% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 63% 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 Vasteras 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 Vasteras at $1,813. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vasteras it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $1,813 in Vasteras. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vasteras makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Vasteras vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?