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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,812 in Arendal versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,929 in Arendal versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,045 in Arendal versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Arendal is roughly 122% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arendal is 106% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 NOK 191

$11.60 MX$200

75.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.9 NOK 640

$47.11 MX$812

44.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.13 NOK 152

$11.88 MX$205

35.77%

Cappuccino

$5.59 NOK 52.7

$3.98 MX$68.6

40.45%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.12

$1.43 MX$24.60

153.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NOK 30.45

$0.82 MX$14.22

293.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.95 NOK 113

$3.19 MX$55.0

274.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.45 NOK 117

$6.79 MX$117

83.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.43 NOK 22.89

$1.68 MX$28.89

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 NOK 33.73

$2.20 MX$37.88

62.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 NOK 36.66

$1.71 MX$29.45

127.49%

Eggs

$5.01 NOK 47.20

$2.74 MX$47.26

82.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 NOK 141

$9.58 MX$165

55.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 NOK 139

$9.01 MX$155

63.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.89 NOK 319

$12.81 MX$221

164.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 NOK 34.66

$2.89 MX$49.81

27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.03

$1.50 MX$25.81

91.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.63

$2.15 MX$37.03

66.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 NOK 46.16

$2.26 MX$38.96

116.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 NOK 24.84

$1.98 MX$34.15

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.44

$1.99 MX$34.30

56.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.11

$1.23 MX$21.28

125.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.71

$1.20 MX$20.63

100.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.64 NOK 166

$4.55 MX$78.5

287.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 NOK 141

$10.37 MX$179

44.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.46

$1.62 MX$27.91

125.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 NOK 43.21

$2.88 MX$49.67

59.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.72 NOK 35.06

$0.60 MX$10.35

520.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NOK 879

$28.80 MX$497

223.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.37 NOK 60.0

$5.39 MX$92.9

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 NOK 16.41

$3.73 MX$64.3

-53.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$107 NOK 1,010

$5.77 MX$99.5

1756.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.22

$1.54 MX$26.48

46.10%

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

$49.0K NOK 461.4K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

117.14%

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

$42.7K NOK 402.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

63.98%

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

$252 NOK 2,374

$91.4 MX$1,576

175.76%

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

$36.14 NOK 341

$25.20 MX$435

43.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.2 NOK 755

$31.24 MX$539

156.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.02 NOK 358

$67.2 MX$1,159

-43.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$15.79 NOK 149

$4.86 MX$83.8

224.90%

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

$333 NOK 3,136

$224 MX$3,856

48.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 136.9K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

243.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 NOK 1,216

$47.10 MX$812

173.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.75 NOK 422

$44.29 MX$764

1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 NOK 1,222

$80.1 MX$1,381

61.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 NOK 1,924

$92.7 MX$1,598

120.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NOK 10.7K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 NOK 10.1K

$390 MX$6,728

173.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 NOK 14.9K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-26.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 NOK 14.2K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

18.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,308 NOK 40.6K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

7.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,230 NOK 30.4K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-50.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,248 NOK 40.0K

$758 MX$13.1K

460.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.45

-59.13%

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

Last update for Arendal: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,139 in Arendal and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 460% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Arendal vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $502 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Arendal and Playa del Carmen differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,812 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 460% higher in Arendal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,139 in Arendal versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $333 in Arendal versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,812 in Arendal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arendal and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.