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: $2,417 in Hamar versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,870 in Hamar versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,324 in Hamar versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamar is roughly 91% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 77% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 200

$11.60 MX$199

83.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$130 NOK 1,221

$47.11 MX$809

175.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.05 NOK 151

$11.88 MX$204

35.10%

Cappuccino

$6.13 NOK 57.7

$3.98 MX$68.2

54.02%

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

$4.14 NOK 39.04

$1.43 MX$24.49

189.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.55

$0.82 MX$14.16

308.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.03 NOK 113

$3.19 MX$54.7

277.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 NOK 79.4

$6.79 MX$117

24.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 NOK 23.66

$1.68 MX$28.76

49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 NOK 28.53

$2.20 MX$37.71

37.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 NOK 20.03

$1.71 MX$29.32

24.56%

Eggs

$5.90 NOK 55.6

$2.74 MX$47.05

115.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 NOK 107

$9.58 MX$164

18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 NOK 119

$9.01 MX$155

40.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.76 NOK 280

$12.81 MX$220

132.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 NOK 32.04

$2.89 MX$49.58

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.05

$1.50 MX$25.70

77.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 29.96

$2.15 MX$36.87

47.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.98 NOK 56.3

$2.26 MX$38.79

164.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 23.69

$1.98 MX$34.00

26.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.93

$1.99 MX$34.15

27.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NOK 20.02

$1.23 MX$21.18

73.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 NOK 19.06

$1.20 MX$20.54

68.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 NOK 181

$4.55 MX$78.1

323.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.86 NOK 159

$10.37 MX$178

62.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.00

$1.62 MX$27.79

122.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 NOK 41.21

$2.88 MX$49.44

51.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.68 NOK 44.09

$0.60 MX$10.30

680.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 NOK 658

$28.80 MX$494

142.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.00 NOK 113

$5.39 MX$92.5

122.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NOK 17.51

$3.73 MX$64.0

-50.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.9 NOK 677

$5.77 MX$99.0

1145.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.25

$1.54 MX$26.37

53.25%

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

$48.5K NOK 456.9K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

115.10%

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

$46.2K NOK 434.8K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

77.11%

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

$227 NOK 2,136

$91.4 MX$1,569

148.18%

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

$32.60 NOK 307

$25.20 MX$433

29.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 534

$31.24 MX$536

81.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 544

$67.2 MX$1,154

-14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.57 NOK 288

$29.11 MX$500

5.02%

Cinema Ticket

$19.33 NOK 182

$4.86 MX$83.5

297.74%

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

$217 NOK 2,043

$224 MX$3,839

-3.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K NOK 150.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

277.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 950

$47.10 MX$808

113.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 NOK 572

$44.29 MX$760

37.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NOK 1,254

$80.1 MX$1,375

66.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NOK 991

$92.7 MX$1,591

13.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 NOK 11.6K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 NOK 8,307

$390 MX$6,698

125.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 NOK 15.4K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-23.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 NOK 14.5K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

21.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 NOK 41.9K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

11.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,468 NOK 32.7K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-46.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

$758 MX$13.0K

461.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

11.45

-56.51%

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

Last update for Hamar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Hamar and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 461% 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: $130 in Hamar vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $455 vs $276 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 91% in total monthly costs ($2,417 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 461% 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: $1,235 in Hamar versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% 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 $47.00 versus $130 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,417 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 91% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.