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 $2,242 per month in Alesund vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,326 per month in Alesund vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,409 per month in Alesund vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Alesund costs about 73% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Alesund sits 67% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 NOK 184

$11.73 MX$203

69.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 NOK 794

$41.62 MX$720

105.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 NOK 120

$10.64 MX$184

21.71%

Cappuccino

$3.95 NOK 36.66

$3.52 MX$60.9

12.22%

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

$2.02 NOK 18.79

$1.51 MX$26.12

33.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 20.32

$0.97 MX$16.84

125.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.94 NOK 102

$2.95 MX$51.0

270.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 NOK 85.9

$4.45 MX$77.0

107.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.22

$1.38 MX$23.93

73.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 NOK 27.39

$1.89 MX$32.72

56.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 26.82

$1.64 MX$28.32

76.22%

Eggs

$3.99 NOK 37.02

$2.51 MX$43.34

58.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 NOK 131

$8.34 MX$144

69.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 127

$8.34 MX$144

63.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.52 NOK 209

$10.73 MX$186

109.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.45

$2.60 MX$45.04

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NOK 21.63

$1.46 MX$25.20

59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.09

$1.90 MX$32.87

13.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 NOK 34.19

$2.08 MX$35.91

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.96

$1.78 MX$30.71

51.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 NOK 16.05

$2.19 MX$37.80

-21.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 NOK 26.05

$1.04 MX$17.99

169.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 19.89

$1.08 MX$18.62

98.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 NOK 126

$4.08 MX$70.6

233.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.84 NOK 175

$10.32 MX$178

82.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 NOK 30.49

$1.71 MX$29.61

91.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 NOK 39.40

$2.58 MX$44.54

64.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.53 NOK 42.09

$0.51 MX$8.81

788.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 NOK 609

$26.46 MX$458

147.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 NOK 112

$3.26 MX$56.4

271.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 NOK 19.26

$2.49 MX$43.09

-16.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.6 NOK 684

$3.25 MX$56.2

2165.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.35

$1.31 MX$22.61

67.18%

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

$36.0K NOK 334.2K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

18.81%

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

$43.3K NOK 402.3K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

84.81%

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

$242 NOK 2,251

$82.9 MX$1,433

192.33%

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

$39.19 NOK 364

$22.22 MX$384

76.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.94 NOK 380

$29.34 MX$507

39.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 NOK 539

$51.6 MX$893

12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.85 NOK 277

$18.32 MX$317

62.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.00 NOK 158

$5.07 MX$87.6

235.31%

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

$266 NOK 2,468

$201 MX$3,473

32.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,461 NOK 22.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-52.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NOK 781

$36.92 MX$639

127.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.85 NOK 407

$39.79 MX$688

10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,022

$78.5 MX$1,357

40.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NOK 1,264

$87.1 MX$1,506

56.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 NOK 8,988

$973 MX$16.8K

-0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 NOK 7,262

$468 MX$8,090

67.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 NOK 12.9K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-15.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 NOK 10.8K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-4.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,672 NOK 43.4K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

18.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,516 NOK 23.4K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-61.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,349 NOK 40.4K

$664 MX$11.5K

555.05%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $968 in Alesund versus $973 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 555% 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 $85.0 in Alesund versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $425 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: $2,242 in Alesund, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 73% apart. Alesund costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Alesund and $1,945 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 $85.0 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 $2,242 in Alesund and $1,297 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 $1,297, than in Alesund at $2,242. 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $2,242 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.