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: $2,682 in Fredrikstad versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,010 in Fredrikstad versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,338 in Fredrikstad versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 114% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fredrikstad is 101% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 NOK 173

$11.99 MX$210

49.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 NOK 1,093

$41.78 MX$731

171.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 NOK 115

$10.75 MX$188

10.79%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 51.4

$3.50 MX$61.1

52.57%

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

$3.97 NOK 38.21

$1.45 MX$25.33

173.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NOK 26.44

$0.88 MX$15.47

211.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.01 NOK 106

$2.95 MX$51.6

273.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 NOK 99.1

$4.51 MX$78.9

128.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 21.07

$1.43 MX$25.04

53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 NOK 40.97

$1.84 MX$32.13

130.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 NOK 31.50

$1.57 MX$27.42

108.28%

Eggs

$5.22 NOK 50.3

$2.51 MX$43.92

107.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 NOK 113

$8.28 MX$145

42.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.02 NOK 154

$8.43 MX$147

90.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.17 NOK 329

$10.68 MX$187

219.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.51 NOK 43.45

$2.61 MX$45.62

72.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 33.91

$1.44 MX$25.15

144.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 43.34

$1.96 MX$34.31

129.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 NOK 48.57

$2.09 MX$36.62

141.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 26.49

$1.85 MX$32.37

48.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.61

$2.17 MX$37.90

22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 NOK 25.47

$1.03 MX$18.04

156.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NOK 17.79

$1.07 MX$18.78

72.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 NOK 143

$4.10 MX$71.7

262.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.86 NOK 211

$10.17 MX$178

114.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.43 NOK 33.00

$1.68 MX$29.29

104.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 NOK 58.9

$2.53 MX$44.17

141.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 NOK 37.30

$0.51 MX$8.90

658.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 NOK 613

$26.04 MX$455

144.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 NOK 59.9

$3.23 MX$56.5

92.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 14.02

$2.41 MX$42.06

-39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 NOK 503

$3.23 MX$56.5

1518.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.90

$1.32 MX$23.10

71.97%

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

$35.1K NOK 337.9K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

18.15%

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

$39.1K NOK 376.6K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

65.21%

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

$339 NOK 3,268

$82.0 MX$1,434

313.69%

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

$37.93 NOK 365

$22.95 MX$401

65.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 549

$30.11 MX$527

89.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.85 NOK 470

$52.0 MX$909

-6.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.15 NOK 377

$18.53 MX$324

111.28%

Cinema Ticket

$22.16 NOK 213

$4.98 MX$87.0

344.98%

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

$284 NOK 2,734

$197 MX$3,452

43.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 98.2K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

91.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$154 NOK 1,483

$35.60 MX$622

332.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 NOK 580

$40.33 MX$705

49.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 NOK 1,604

$78.8 MX$1,377

111.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,278

$88.9 MX$1,555

49.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 NOK 12.2K

$947 MX$16.6K

33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 NOK 9,086

$474 MX$8,288

99.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,100 NOK 20.2K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 NOK 14.8K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

27.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,874 NOK 56.6K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

44.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,915 NOK 37.7K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-39.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,227 NOK 31.1K

$654 MX$11.4K

393.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

11.42

-62.78%

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

Last update for Fredrikstad: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,266 in Fredrikstad and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 393% 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: $114 in Fredrikstad vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $249 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 393% 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: $1,266 in Fredrikstad versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Fredrikstad 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 110% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,682 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 114% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.