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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,622 in Bergen versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Bergen versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Bergen versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bergen is roughly 106% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bergen is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 239

$11.87 MX$204

112.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 965

$42.90 MX$736

136.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.97 NOK 180

$10.65 MX$183

78.12%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$3.45 MX$59.2

60.87%

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

$3.17 NOK 30.10

$1.50 MX$25.81

111.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.56

$0.95 MX$16.28

216.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.86 NOK 113

$3.03 MX$51.9

291.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.58 NOK 90.9

$4.61 MX$79.1

107.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NOK 25.50

$1.38 MX$23.61

94.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$1.85 MX$31.70

85.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 27.34

$1.61 MX$27.65

78.88%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.75

$2.59 MX$44.51

94.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 NOK 132

$8.26 MX$142

69.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 NOK 152

$8.37 MX$144

91.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.79 NOK 264

$10.66 MX$183

160.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 NOK 35.95

$2.63 MX$45.12

44.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.98

$1.49 MX$25.53

97.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 34.03

$1.92 MX$32.94

86.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 54.1

$2.09 MX$35.81

172.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.85

$1.86 MX$31.88

40.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 NOK 27.29

$2.26 MX$38.81

26.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 NOK 27.63

$1.06 MX$18.23

174.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 20.34

$1.09 MX$18.67

96.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.78 NOK 159

$4.15 MX$71.2

304.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.96 NOK 170

$10.39 MX$178

72.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.44 NOK 32.68

$1.72 MX$29.59

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.97

$2.61 MX$44.85

65.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.44 NOK 42.14

$0.54 MX$9.30

722.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.0 NOK 759

$26.94 MX$462

196.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 145

$3.13 MX$53.7

386.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 NOK 21.55

$2.51 MX$43.09

-9.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.5 NOK 688

$3.15 MX$54.1

2202.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 NOK 20.93

$1.27 MX$21.88

74.02%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.04%

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

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

81.95%

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

$243 NOK 2,311

$83.0 MX$1,425

193.30%

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

$38.80 NOK 368

$22.71 MX$390

70.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 NOK 620

$29.46 MX$506

121.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 NOK 514

$51.0 MX$875

6.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.54 NOK 375

$18.33 MX$315

115.71%

Cinema Ticket

$20.20 NOK 192

$4.93 MX$84.5

309.74%

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

$282 NOK 2,677

$197 MX$3,386

42.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

139.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 NOK 863

$36.90 MX$633

146.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 NOK 531

$39.89 MX$685

40.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 NOK 1,064

$80.0 MX$1,373

40.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 NOK 1,391

$89.5 MX$1,536

63.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

$956 MX$16.4K

35.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 NOK 9,238

$477 MX$8,189

104.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

21.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

28.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

100.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-28.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

$667 MX$11.4K

579.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.85

11.42

-57.53%

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

Last update for Bergen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Bergen and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 579% 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: $102 in Bergen vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Bergen pays 579% 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: $1,295 in Bergen versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Bergen 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 96% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,622 in Bergen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bergen. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bergen 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 106% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.