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: $2,252 in Arendal versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,400 in Arendal versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,548 in Arendal versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Arendal is roughly 77% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arendal is 68% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.27 NOK 173

$11.87 MX$204

53.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 NOK 716

$42.90 MX$736

75.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 NOK 147

$10.65 MX$183

44.98%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 49.49

$3.45 MX$59.2

51.01%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.46

$1.50 MX$25.81

114.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 NOK 28.99

$0.95 MX$16.28

221.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.98 NOK 104

$3.03 MX$51.9

262.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 97.1

$4.61 MX$79.1

121.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.94

$1.38 MX$23.61

67.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.52

$1.85 MX$31.70

62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.13

$1.61 MX$27.65

123.60%

Eggs

$4.36 NOK 41.38

$2.59 MX$44.51

68.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 NOK 123

$8.26 MX$142

57.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.36 NOK 146

$8.37 MX$144

83.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.96 NOK 265

$10.66 MX$183

162.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.30

$2.63 MX$45.12

29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.08

$1.49 MX$25.53

70.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.41

$1.92 MX$32.94

61.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 43.20

$2.09 MX$35.81

117.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.60

$1.86 MX$31.88

11.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.27

$2.26 MX$38.81

31.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.75

$1.06 MX$18.23

146.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NOK 16.65

$1.09 MX$18.67

60.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.43 NOK 146

$4.15 MX$71.2

271.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.24 NOK 173

$10.39 MX$178

75.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.83

$1.72 MX$29.59

94.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 NOK 38.01

$2.61 MX$44.85

53.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.89 NOK 36.88

$0.54 MX$9.30

620.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$26.94 MX$462

294.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.93 NOK 75.3

$3.13 MX$53.7

153.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.74

$2.51 MX$43.09

-17.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.96 NOK 294

$3.15 MX$54.1

882.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.71

$1.27 MX$21.88

63.78%

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

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

11.58%

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

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

39.80%

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

$189 NOK 1,793

$83.0 MX$1,425

127.60%

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

$35.99 NOK 342

$22.71 MX$390

58.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 NOK 703

$29.46 MX$506

151.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.53 NOK 423

$51.0 MX$875

-12.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$54.0 NOK 513

$18.33 MX$315

194.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NOK 113

$4.93 MX$84.5

141.99%

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

$306 NOK 2,903

$197 MX$3,386

55.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

93.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 919

$36.90 MX$633

162.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 NOK 550

$39.89 MX$685

45.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NOK 1,003

$80.0 MX$1,373

32.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,512

$89.5 MX$1,536

78.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

$956 MX$16.4K

14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 NOK 6,722

$477 MX$8,189

48.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-5.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-17.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-67.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

$667 MX$11.4K

511.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

11.42

-68.48%

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

Last update for Arendal: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Arendal and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 512% 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: $75.0 in Arendal vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $250 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 77% in total monthly costs ($2,252 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arendal pays 512% more on average, 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: $1,099 in Arendal versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Arendal versus $197 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 83% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,252 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 77% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.