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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,030 in Fredrikstad versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,355 in Fredrikstad versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,681 in Fredrikstad versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 134% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fredrikstad is 121% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.41 NOK 218

$11.71 MX$199

99.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,110

$46.59 MX$791

155.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 NOK 117

$11.65 MX$198

7.81%

Cappuccino

$6.72 NOK 62.6

$4.09 MX$69.5

64.30%

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

$5.87 NOK 54.7

$1.37 MX$23.34

328.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 NOK 42.82

$0.83 MX$14.16

454.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.33 NOK 115

$3.35 MX$56.9

268.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 NOK 87.7

$6.91 MX$117

36.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 NOK 22.54

$1.73 MX$29.33

39.88%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.42

$2.26 MX$38.39

92.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 NOK 33.13

$1.77 MX$30.05

101.13%

Eggs

$6.10 NOK 56.9

$2.73 MX$46.41

123.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 NOK 124

$9.18 MX$156

44.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.44 NOK 172

$8.92 MX$151

106.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.83 NOK 334

$12.60 MX$214

184.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 NOK 43.62

$3.02 MX$51.3

54.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 33.03

$1.57 MX$26.68

126.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 NOK 41.58

$2.13 MX$36.10

109.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 NOK 48.57

$2.26 MX$38.46

130.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 NOK 27.45

$2.00 MX$34.04

47.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.35

$2.06 MX$35.06

37.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 NOK 27.61

$1.18 MX$20.04

150.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 NOK 22.37

$1.20 MX$20.45

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.07 NOK 150

$4.63 MX$78.7

247.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.17 NOK 207

$10.69 MX$182

107.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.35

$1.62 MX$27.50

120.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 NOK 39.88

$2.88 MX$48.93

48.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 NOK 38.72

$0.57 MX$9.74

629.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 NOK 622

$29.83 MX$507

123.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.99 NOK 121

$5.45 MX$92.5

138.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 NOK 15.76

$3.70 MX$62.9

-54.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.7 NOK 677

$5.98 MX$102

1115.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.29

$1.55 MX$26.38

54.19%

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

$42.7K NOK 397.8K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

91.24%

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

$50.0K NOK 466.3K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

92.87%

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

$338 NOK 3,153

$89.1 MX$1,514

279.63%

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

$46.68 NOK 435

$25.04 MX$425

86.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 NOK 619

$31.50 MX$535

111.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 NOK 550

$67.8 MX$1,151

-12.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.58 NOK 387

$28.92 MX$491

43.78%

Cinema Ticket

$20.69 NOK 193

$5.05 MX$85.8

309.70%

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

$174 NOK 1,621

$225 MX$3,820

-22.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K NOK 103.3K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

162.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$162 NOK 1,508

$47.44 MX$806

241.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.4 NOK 740

$44.98 MX$764

76.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 NOK 1,343

$82.0 MX$1,392

75.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NOK 1,061

$92.1 MX$1,564

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 NOK 13.0K

$1,069 MX$18.2K

30.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 NOK 10.5K

$405 MX$6,884

177.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 NOK 17.2K

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-4.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NOK 14.1K

$1,301 MX$22.1K

16.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,312 NOK 58.8K

$3,995 MX$67.9K

57.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,204 NOK 39.2K

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-36.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,454 NOK 32.2K

$749 MX$12.7K

361.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.95

11.45

-56.77%

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

Last update for Fredrikstad: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Fredrikstad and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 361% 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: $119 in Fredrikstad vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $560 vs $277 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 361% higher in Fredrikstad, 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: $1,391 in Fredrikstad versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $174 in Fredrikstad versus $225 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 102% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,030 in Fredrikstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. 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 Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Fredrikstad 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 134% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.