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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,370 in Hamar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,691 in Hamar versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,011 in Hamar versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamar is roughly 84% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 77% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.45 NOK 237

$11.94 MX$209

113.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,128

$42.75 MX$748

183.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 139

$10.59 MX$185

40.51%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.02

$3.62 MX$63.4

39.50%

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

$4.10 NOK 38.25

$1.47 MX$25.69

178.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.62

$0.94 MX$16.51

238.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.08 NOK 113

$3.09 MX$54.1

290.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 NOK 74.0

$4.46 MX$78.0

78.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NOK 19.32

$1.43 MX$24.94

44.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 NOK 26.79

$1.88 MX$32.97

52.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.30

$1.63 MX$28.50

26.99%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.29

$2.64 MX$46.26

88.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.69 NOK 99.6

$8.21 MX$144

30.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.99 NOK 112

$8.29 MX$145

44.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.44 NOK 293

$11.10 MX$194

183.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$2.65 MX$46.40

31.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 24.32

$1.50 MX$26.26

74.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.81

$1.99 MX$34.79

44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.05

$2.08 MX$36.33

148.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.24

$1.79 MX$31.29

33.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$2.18 MX$38.09

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.73

$1.08 MX$18.84

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 NOK 18.10

$1.04 MX$18.15

86.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.88 NOK 157

$3.97 MX$69.5

325.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 NOK 175

$10.20 MX$179

84.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 31.68

$1.73 MX$30.22

96.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 NOK 38.80

$2.50 MX$43.71

66.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.76

$0.52 MX$9.07

761.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NOK 607

$26.97 MX$472

141.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 95.1

$3.14 MX$55.0

224.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.07

$2.40 MX$42.04

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 NOK 395

$3.09 MX$54.0

1270.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.60

$1.27 MX$22.28

65.35%

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

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

19.51%

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

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

86.11%

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

$215 NOK 2,007

$82.0 MX$1,435

162.64%

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

$31.45 NOK 293

$22.45 MX$393

40.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$29.66 MX$519

88.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 NOK 521

$51.9 MX$908

7.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.85 NOK 260

$18.67 MX$327

49.17%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 167

$4.97 MX$87.0

260.36%

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

$199 NOK 1,856

$198 MX$3,462

0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

181.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 982

$36.34 MX$636

189.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 NOK 574

$40.05 MX$701

53.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,157

$79.9 MX$1,398

55.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NOK 930

$88.9 MX$1,555

12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

$963 MX$16.9K

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 NOK 7,898

$465 MX$8,133

82.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-6.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

18.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

11.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-45.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

$720 MX$12.6K

503.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

11.42

-55.52%

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

Last update for Hamar: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,168 in Hamar and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 504% 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: $121 in Hamar vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $251 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

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

Hamar and Playa del Carmen differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hamar pays 504% 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: $1,168 in Hamar versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $121 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,370 in Hamar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hamar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.