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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,215 per month in Alesund vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,317 per month in Alesund vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,418 per month in Alesund vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Alesund costs about 76% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Alesund sits 66% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 NOK 195

$11.99 MX$210

69.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 NOK 845

$41.78 MX$731

110.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.72 NOK 122

$10.75 MX$188

18.33%

Cappuccino

$3.94 NOK 37.90

$3.50 MX$61.1

12.57%

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

$2.00 NOK 19.28

$1.45 MX$25.33

37.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 NOK 21.82

$0.88 MX$15.47

157.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.20 NOK 108

$2.95 MX$51.6

279.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 NOK 86.0

$4.51 MX$78.9

98.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 23.40

$1.43 MX$25.04

69.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 NOK 28.07

$1.84 MX$32.13

58.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NOK 27.12

$1.57 MX$27.42

79.62%

Eggs

$3.94 NOK 37.98

$2.51 MX$43.92

56.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 NOK 137

$8.28 MX$145

71.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 NOK 128

$8.43 MX$147

58.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.52 NOK 217

$10.68 MX$187

110.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 27.57

$2.61 MX$45.62

9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 NOK 23.08

$1.44 MX$25.15

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 21.45

$1.96 MX$34.31

13.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.56

$2.09 MX$36.62

66.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.13

$1.85 MX$32.37

46.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 NOK 17.24

$2.17 MX$37.90

-17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NOK 27.60

$1.03 MX$18.04

178.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 NOK 19.67

$1.07 MX$18.78

90.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 NOK 135

$4.10 MX$71.7

242.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.23 NOK 166

$10.17 MX$178

69.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 NOK 31.74

$1.68 MX$29.29

96.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 38.86

$2.53 MX$44.17

59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.49 NOK 43.20

$0.51 MX$8.90

780.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.9 NOK 635

$26.04 MX$455

153.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.11 NOK 117

$3.23 MX$56.5

274.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 NOK 21.01

$2.41 MX$42.06

-9.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.7 NOK 710

$3.23 MX$56.5

2181.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.93

$1.32 MX$23.10

64.39%

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

$35.9K NOK 345.8K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

20.89%

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

$43.8K NOK 421.4K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

84.91%

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

$240 NOK 2,312

$82.0 MX$1,434

192.72%

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

$39.04 NOK 376

$22.95 MX$401

70.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.85 NOK 384

$30.11 MX$527

32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 NOK 552

$52.0 MX$909

10.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.76 NOK 296

$18.53 MX$324

66.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 NOK 168

$4.98 MX$87.0

250.80%

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

$268 NOK 2,577

$197 MX$3,452

35.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,464 NOK 23.7K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

-53.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 NOK 822

$35.60 MX$622

139.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 NOK 425

$40.33 MX$705

9.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,060

$78.8 MX$1,377

39.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,298

$88.9 MX$1,555

51.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 NOK 9,093

$947 MX$16.6K

-0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 NOK 7,645

$474 MX$8,288

67.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 NOK 13.4K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-15.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 NOK 11.0K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-5.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,409 NOK 42.5K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

8.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,429 NOK 23.4K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-62.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 NOK 39.7K

$654 MX$11.4K

530.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.03

11.42

-64.71%

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

Last update for Alesund: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in Alesund versus $947 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 530% higher in Alesund, 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 $88.0 in Alesund versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $419 vs $249 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,215 in Alesund, $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 76% apart. Alesund costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,323 per month in Alesund and $1,884 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Alesund and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,215 in Alesund and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Alesund at $2,215. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alesund 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $2,215 in Alesund. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Alesund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.