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: $2,372 in Hamar versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,738 in Hamar versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,105 in Hamar versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hamar is roughly 83% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamar is 78% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.40 NOK 247

$11.73 MX$204

116.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,195

$41.78 MX$725

193.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.39 NOK 150

$10.41 MX$181

47.84%

Cappuccino

$4.94 NOK 48.11

$3.61 MX$62.6

36.84%

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

$4.06 NOK 39.50

$1.46 MX$25.28

178.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 30.94

$0.97 MX$16.84

227.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.19 NOK 119

$2.92 MX$50.8

317.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 NOK 78.9

$4.62 MX$80.2

75.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 20.54

$1.43 MX$24.80

47.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 NOK 27.72

$1.90 MX$32.98

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 19.26

$1.57 MX$27.18

26.11%

Eggs

$4.98 NOK 48.48

$2.64 MX$45.73

88.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 101

$8.44 MX$146

23.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.07 NOK 118

$8.58 MX$149

40.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.86 NOK 301

$11.00 MX$191

180.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 NOK 34.58

$2.70 MX$46.91

31.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NOK 25.43

$1.51 MX$26.15

72.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 29.30

$1.91 MX$33.22

57.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 NOK 48.71

$2.17 MX$37.69

130.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 23.06

$1.87 MX$32.53

26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 23.18

$2.23 MX$38.76

6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NOK 19.35

$1.08 MX$18.76

84.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.42

$1.07 MX$18.63

76.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.50 NOK 170

$4.16 MX$72.2

320.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.45 NOK 180

$10.29 MX$179

79.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 NOK 33.60

$1.68 MX$29.20

105.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 41.62

$2.53 MX$43.96

68.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 42.30

$0.55 MX$9.61

689.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 NOK 633

$26.29 MX$456

147.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 NOK 97.7

$3.20 MX$55.5

213.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.65

$2.46 MX$42.73

-43.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.03 NOK 409

$3.20 MX$55.5

1213.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 21.43

$1.32 MX$22.91

66.67%

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

$36.1K NOK 351.8K

$30.2K MX$523.3K

19.77%

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

$43.4K NOK 422.3K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

85.33%

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

$219 NOK 2,137

$81.4 MX$1,412

169.66%

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

$30.64 NOK 298

$22.41 MX$389

36.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 NOK 542

$29.97 MX$520

85.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 NOK 547

$51.6 MX$895

8.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.84 NOK 271

$18.39 MX$319

51.39%

Cinema Ticket

$18.11 NOK 176

$5.16 MX$89.6

250.97%

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

$199 NOK 1,939

$202 MX$3,501

-1.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NOK 142.2K

$5,311 MX$92.2K

174.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 1,017

$35.61 MX$618

193.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 NOK 580

$40.37 MX$701

47.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NOK 1,197

$78.6 MX$1,365

56.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NOK 981

$86.9 MX$1,507

16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 NOK 11.6K

$950 MX$16.5K

25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 NOK 8,227

$478 MX$8,298

76.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 NOK 14.5K

$1,621 MX$28.1K

-7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 14.3K

$1,223 MX$21.2K

19.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,331 NOK 42.2K

$4,009 MX$69.6K

8.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,526 NOK 34.3K

$6,473 MX$112.3K

-45.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,192 NOK 40.8K

$673 MX$11.7K

522.95%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Hamar and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 523% 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: $123 in Hamar vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $437 vs $254 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,372 vs $1,294 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 523% 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: $1,192 in Hamar versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% 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 $123 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,372 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 83% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.