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: $2,203 in Arendal versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Arendal versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,494 in Arendal versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Arendal is roughly 75% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arendal is 65% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 NOK 170

$11.72 MX$203

52.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 NOK 709

$41.89 MX$725

78.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.38 NOK 146

$10.51 MX$182

46.34%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.92

$3.59 MX$62.0

43.73%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.20

$1.51 MX$26.10

117.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$0.92 MX$15.83

234.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.02 NOK 105

$2.96 MX$51.2

272.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 NOK 94.4

$4.41 MX$76.3

125.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.82

$1.40 MX$24.16

72.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 NOK 30.06

$1.88 MX$32.60

68.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 NOK 34.90

$1.56 MX$26.97

135.90%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 41.08

$2.61 MX$45.14

65.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.30 NOK 126

$8.32 MX$144

59.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 146

$8.35 MX$145

84.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.89 NOK 264

$10.86 MX$188

156.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.88

$2.71 MX$46.93

28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.09

$1.51 MX$26.04

68.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 29.55

$1.87 MX$32.41

66.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 NOK 45.78

$2.19 MX$37.89

120.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NOK 19.68

$1.86 MX$32.14

11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 28.00

$2.23 MX$38.59

32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 NOK 24.73

$1.07 MX$18.48

143.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NOK 17.08

$1.09 MX$18.79

65.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.08 NOK 143

$4.19 MX$72.4

259.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 NOK 169

$10.43 MX$180

70.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 NOK 31.87

$1.66 MX$28.68

102.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 38.08

$2.61 MX$45.19

54.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 36.09

$0.54 MX$9.37

605.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NOK 1,009

$26.16 MX$453

306.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 NOK 78.6

$3.08 MX$53.3

169.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.49

$2.40 MX$41.61

-14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.83 NOK 292

$3.13 MX$54.1

884.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.57

$1.31 MX$22.69

57.25%

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

$34.7K NOK 328.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

16.37%

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

$33.3K NOK 316.2K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

42.98%

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

$191 NOK 1,814

$81.3 MX$1,406

135.32%

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

$35.33 NOK 335

$22.56 MX$390

56.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 NOK 705

$30.05 MX$520

147.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.23 NOK 419

$52.9 MX$915

-16.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 498

$18.39 MX$318

185.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 NOK 113

$4.92 MX$85.1

143.09%

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

$308 NOK 2,918

$201 MX$3,474

53.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.7K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

97.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 926

$35.92 MX$622

171.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 NOK 565

$40.13 MX$694

48.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 983

$79.7 MX$1,379

30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,524

$86.5 MX$1,496

85.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 NOK 10.2K

$978 MX$16.9K

9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NOK 6,676

$470 MX$8,140

49.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 NOK 12.5K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-20.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NOK 10.8K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-5.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,161 NOK 30.0K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-20.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 NOK 19.8K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-68.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 NOK 38.1K

$677 MX$11.7K

493.61%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Arendal and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 494% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $252 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 75% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 494% 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: $1,071 in Arendal versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $201 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 84% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,203 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 75% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.