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: $2,379 in Hamar versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Hamar versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Hamar versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamar is roughly 89% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 79% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.39 NOK 241

$11.72 MX$203

116.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,157

$41.89 MX$725

191.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 NOK 145

$10.51 MX$182

45.29%

Cappuccino

$5.07 NOK 48.03

$3.59 MX$62.0

41.23%

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

$4.21 NOK 39.92

$1.51 MX$26.10

178.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.12

$0.92 MX$15.83

245.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.96 NOK 113

$2.96 MX$51.2

304.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.6

$4.41 MX$76.3

85.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.93

$1.40 MX$24.16

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 NOK 26.97

$1.88 MX$32.60

51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.40

$1.56 MX$26.97

31.41%

Eggs

$5.20 NOK 49.27

$2.61 MX$45.14

99.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 NOK 98.8

$8.32 MX$144

25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.20 NOK 116

$8.35 MX$145

46.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.13 NOK 295

$10.86 MX$188

186.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 32.66

$2.71 MX$46.93

26.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.69

$1.51 MX$26.04

65.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NOK 27.37

$1.87 MX$32.41

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 NOK 48.21

$2.19 MX$37.89

131.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.55

$1.86 MX$32.14

27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.69

$2.23 MX$38.59

7.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NOK 18.96

$1.07 MX$18.48

86.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.92

$1.09 MX$18.79

73.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.40 NOK 165

$4.19 MX$72.4

315.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 NOK 171

$10.43 MX$180

72.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NOK 33.37

$1.66 MX$28.68

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 NOK 40.34

$2.61 MX$45.19

62.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 42.53

$0.54 MX$9.37

729.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 NOK 612

$26.16 MX$453

146.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NOK 94.6

$3.08 MX$53.3

223.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.12

$2.40 MX$41.61

-42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.66 NOK 404

$3.13 MX$54.1

1262.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.97

$1.31 MX$22.69

61.07%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.4K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

20.44%

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

$43.2K NOK 409.8K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

85.31%

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

$218 NOK 2,072

$81.3 MX$1,406

168.80%

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

$31.47 NOK 298

$22.56 MX$390

39.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NOK 533

$30.05 MX$520

86.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 NOK 528

$52.9 MX$915

5.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.97 NOK 265

$18.39 MX$318

52.09%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 NOK 171

$4.92 MX$85.1

266.26%

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

$203 NOK 1,921

$201 MX$3,474

0.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 138.6K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

182.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 1,002

$35.92 MX$622

194.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 NOK 573

$40.13 MX$694

50.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,148

$79.7 MX$1,379

51.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NOK 976

$86.5 MX$1,496

19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 NOK 11.0K

$978 MX$16.9K

18.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 NOK 7,811

$470 MX$8,140

75.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 NOK 14.2K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-9.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 NOK 13.7K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

20.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 NOK 39.9K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NOK 32.7K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-47.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,111 NOK 39.0K

$677 MX$11.7K

507.58%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,160 in Hamar and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 508% 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: $122 in Hamar vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $252 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 89% in total monthly costs ($2,379 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 508% higher in Hamar, 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: $1,160 in Hamar versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% 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 $42.00 versus $122 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,379 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 89% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.