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: $2,692 in Fredrikstad versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,055 in Fredrikstad versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,418 in Fredrikstad versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fredrikstad is roughly 108% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fredrikstad is 101% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.53 NOK 172

$11.73 MX$203

57.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 NOK 1,018

$41.62 MX$720

163.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 NOK 111

$10.64 MX$184

12.59%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 47.91

$3.52 MX$60.9

46.59%

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

$3.90 NOK 36.25

$1.51 MX$26.12

158.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NOK 25.98

$0.97 MX$16.84

188.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.30 NOK 105

$2.95 MX$51.0

283.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 94.7

$4.45 MX$77.0

128.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.17

$1.38 MX$23.93

57.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.45 NOK 41.36

$1.89 MX$32.72

135.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 NOK 30.00

$1.64 MX$28.32

96.95%

Eggs

$5.46 NOK 50.8

$2.51 MX$43.34

117.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 NOK 110

$8.34 MX$144

42.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.75 NOK 146

$8.34 MX$144

88.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.73 NOK 313

$10.73 MX$186

214.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 NOK 44.06

$2.60 MX$45.04

82.31%

Banana (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 32.09

$1.46 MX$25.20

136.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 NOK 41.83

$1.90 MX$32.87

136.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 NOK 47.00

$2.08 MX$35.91

143.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 26.81

$1.78 MX$30.71

62.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 NOK 25.58

$2.19 MX$37.80

25.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 NOK 25.40

$1.04 MX$17.99

162.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 16.94

$1.08 MX$18.62

68.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 140

$4.08 MX$70.6

269.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.89 NOK 213

$10.32 MX$178

121.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 30.80

$1.71 MX$29.61

94.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 NOK 55.8

$2.58 MX$44.54

132.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.90 NOK 36.22

$0.51 MX$8.81

664.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 NOK 579

$26.46 MX$458

135.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$3.26 MX$56.4

88.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.56

$2.49 MX$43.09

-41.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.8 NOK 500

$3.25 MX$56.2

1555.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.58

$1.31 MX$22.61

77.10%

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

$35.3K NOK 328.0K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

16.61%

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

$37.8K NOK 351.5K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

61.51%

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

$336 NOK 3,119

$82.9 MX$1,433

305.09%

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

$38.13 NOK 354

$22.22 MX$384

71.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 520

$29.34 MX$507

90.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.08 NOK 447

$51.6 MX$893

-6.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.46 NOK 367

$18.32 MX$317

115.39%

Cinema Ticket

$21.86 NOK 203

$5.07 MX$87.6

331.16%

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

$283 NOK 2,629

$201 MX$3,473

40.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

94.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$149 NOK 1,383

$36.92 MX$639

303.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 NOK 569

$39.79 MX$688

54.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 NOK 1,539

$78.5 MX$1,357

111.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,242

$87.1 MX$1,506

53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

$973 MX$16.8K

32.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 NOK 8,851

$468 MX$8,090

103.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

24.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

25.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,150 NOK 57.1K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

55.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 NOK 42.1K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-30.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 NOK 31.7K

$664 MX$11.5K

414.48%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Fredrikstad and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 414% 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: $110 in Fredrikstad vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $526 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 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Fredrikstad pays 414% 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: $1,288 in Fredrikstad versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $283 in Fredrikstad 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 111% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,692 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 108% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.