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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,214 per month in Drammen vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,324 per month in Drammen vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,434 per month in Drammen vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Drammen costs about 71% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Drammen sits 65% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.64 NOK 192

$11.73 MX$203

75.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 NOK 701

$41.62 MX$721

80.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.06 NOK 122

$10.64 MX$184

22.74%

Cappuccino

$4.99 NOK 46.43

$3.52 MX$61.0

41.76%

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

$2.42 NOK 22.52

$1.51 MX$26.17

60.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NOK 24.60

$0.97 MX$16.87

172.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 NOK 72.8

$2.95 MX$51.1

165.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 NOK 57.6

$4.45 MX$77.2

39.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.51

$1.38 MX$23.97

59.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 NOK 29.17

$1.89 MX$32.78

65.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.34

$1.64 MX$28.37

92.07%

Eggs

$4.19 NOK 38.98

$2.51 MX$43.42

66.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 NOK 108

$8.34 MX$145

39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 NOK 125

$8.34 MX$145

60.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 NOK 160

$10.73 MX$186

60.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.08

$2.60 MX$45.12

-21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.62

$1.46 MX$25.25

58.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 31.83

$1.90 MX$32.94

80.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 36.79

$2.08 MX$35.98

89.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.14

$1.78 MX$30.77

27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 NOK 12.48

$2.19 MX$37.87

-38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NOK 17.18

$1.04 MX$18.02

77.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 NOK 17.93

$1.08 MX$18.66

78.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 NOK 135

$4.08 MX$70.7

254.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.02 NOK 121

$10.32 MX$179

26.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.58

$1.71 MX$29.67

79.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 NOK 36.39

$2.58 MX$44.63

51.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 NOK 26.17

$0.51 MX$8.83

450.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.5 NOK 703

$26.46 MX$459

185.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 NOK 93.2

$3.26 MX$56.5

207.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 NOK 11.77

$2.49 MX$43.17

-49.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$103 NOK 959

$3.25 MX$56.3

3069.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.21

$1.31 MX$22.65

65.65%

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

$39.9K NOK 371.5K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

31.79%

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

$38.9K NOK 362.0K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

65.95%

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

$217 NOK 2,021

$82.9 MX$1,436

161.94%

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

$44.32 NOK 413

$22.22 MX$385

99.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.34 NOK 357

$29.34 MX$508

30.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.1 NOK 801

$51.6 MX$895

66.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.80 NOK 333

$18.32 MX$317

95.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 NOK 138

$5.07 MX$87.8

191.32%

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

$310 NOK 2,887

$201 MX$3,480

54.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 95.4K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

96.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.8 NOK 910

$36.92 MX$640

164.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.22 NOK 235

$39.79 MX$689

-36.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 NOK 909

$78.5 MX$1,360

24.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NOK 1,326

$87.1 MX$1,509

63.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 NOK 8,676

$973 MX$16.9K

-4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 NOK 7,229

$468 MX$8,105

66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 NOK 13.9K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 NOK 12.5K

$1,221 MX$21.2K

9.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K NOK 100.7K

$3,946 MX$68.4K

174.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,561 NOK 61.1K

$6,498 MX$112.6K

0.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 NOK 34.9K

$664 MX$11.5K

464.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

11.42

-61.65%

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

Last update for Drammen: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $932 in Drammen 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 464% higher in Drammen, 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 $75.0 in Drammen versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,214 in Drammen, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 71% apart. Drammen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,321 per month in Drammen 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.

Kindergarten costs $310 per month in Drammen and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Drammen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Drammen at $2,214. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Drammen 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 $2,214 in Drammen. 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, Drammen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.