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 $2,382 per month in Alesund vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,761 per month in Alesund vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,140 per month in Alesund vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Alesund costs about 84% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Alesund sits 73% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.51 NOK 201

$11.71 MX$199

83.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.1 NOK 850

$46.59 MX$792

95.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.55 NOK 126

$11.65 MX$198

16.31%

Cappuccino

$4.27 NOK 39.80

$4.09 MX$69.6

4.40%

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

$2.06 NOK 19.26

$1.37 MX$23.35

50.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 NOK 21.64

$0.83 MX$14.17

179.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.99 NOK 112

$3.35 MX$57.0

257.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.52 NOK 88.8

$6.91 MX$117

37.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.50

$1.73 MX$29.35

39.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 NOK 27.90

$2.26 MX$38.41

32.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 30.70

$1.77 MX$30.07

85.88%

Eggs

$4.62 NOK 43.13

$2.73 MX$46.43

69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.27 NOK 142

$9.18 MX$156

66.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 NOK 133

$8.92 MX$152

60.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.17 NOK 198

$12.60 MX$214

68.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 25.08

$3.02 MX$51.3

-10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 22.80

$1.57 MX$26.69

55.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 NOK 21.30

$2.13 MX$36.12

7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 NOK 34.66

$2.26 MX$38.48

64.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 NOK 24.19

$2.00 MX$34.05

29.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 NOK 14.88

$2.06 MX$35.08

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 NOK 28.04

$1.18 MX$20.05

154.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 NOK 19.06

$1.20 MX$20.46

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.56 NOK 145

$4.63 MX$78.8

236.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.44 NOK 172

$10.69 MX$182

72.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.41

$1.62 MX$27.52

114.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 NOK 38.87

$2.88 MX$48.96

44.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 NOK 46.80

$0.57 MX$9.74

780.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.5 NOK 826

$29.83 MX$507

196.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.79 NOK 119

$5.45 MX$92.6

134.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.88

$3.70 MX$63.0

-48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.7 NOK 697

$5.98 MX$102

1148.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 NOK 21.94

$1.55 MX$26.40

51.61%

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

$48.5K NOK 452.5K

$22.3K MX$379.4K

117.21%

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

$43.6K NOK 406.7K

$25.9K MX$441.0K

67.96%

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

$289 NOK 2,700

$89.1 MX$1,515

224.72%

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

$31.36 NOK 293

$25.04 MX$426

25.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 NOK 558

$31.50 MX$535

89.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 NOK 560

$67.8 MX$1,152

-11.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.50 NOK 303

$28.92 MX$491

12.38%

Cinema Ticket

$18.18 NOK 170

$5.05 MX$85.8

260.00%

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

$247 NOK 2,307

$225 MX$3,823

9.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,596 NOK 24.2K

$4,222 MX$71.8K

-38.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 NOK 825

$47.44 MX$806

86.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 NOK 428

$44.98 MX$764

2.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,090

$82.0 MX$1,393

42.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 NOK 1,355

$92.1 MX$1,565

57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 NOK 10.2K

$1,069 MX$18.2K

2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 NOK 7,591

$405 MX$6,888

100.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 NOK 10.8K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 NOK 15.6K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

28.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,496 NOK 42.0K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

12.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,529 NOK 23.6K

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-61.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,238 NOK 39.5K

$749 MX$12.7K

466.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

11.45

-63.14%

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

Last update for Alesund: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,095 in Alesund versus $1,069 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 466% 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 $91.0 in Alesund versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $277 – 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: $2,382 in Alesund, $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 84% apart. Alesund costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,573 per month in Alesund and $1,940 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 $91.0 in Alesund and $47.00 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 $2,382 in Alesund and $1,293 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 $1,293, than in Alesund at $2,382. 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen to $2,382 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.