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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,470 in Harstad versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,732 in Harstad versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Harstad versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harstad is roughly 96% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 85% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 NOK 130

$11.95 MX$208

13.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,156

$41.94 MX$731

187.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.25 NOK 146

$10.42 MX$182

46.35%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 59.4

$3.51 MX$61.3

76.92%

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

$3.62 NOK 34.61

$1.52 MX$26.44

138.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 NOK 29.83

$0.91 MX$15.88

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.99 NOK 105

$3.04 MX$53.0

261.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.23 NOK 108

$4.37 MX$76.2

156.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 23.41

$1.42 MX$24.78

72.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.58

$1.83 MX$31.93

80.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NOK 28.88

$1.63 MX$28.51

85.28%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.66

$2.54 MX$44.29

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 NOK 100

$8.57 MX$149

22.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 148

$8.49 MX$148

81.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.05 NOK 355

$10.80 MX$188

243.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 NOK 38.80

$2.75 MX$48.04

47.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.51

$1.44 MX$25.05

84.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 33.77

$1.89 MX$32.90

86.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 NOK 44.48

$2.17 MX$37.84

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.70

$1.78 MX$31.03

15.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.93

$2.22 MX$38.79

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 NOK 25.57

$1.07 MX$18.64

149.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.85

$1.08 MX$18.83

62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 143

$4.15 MX$72.3

259.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 NOK 152

$10.45 MX$182

51.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.29

$1.74 MX$30.40

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 44.96

$2.58 MX$45.01

82.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.11 NOK 58.5

$0.51 MX$8.95

1098.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 759

$25.94 MX$452

205.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.53 NOK 120

$3.21 MX$56.0

290.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.42

$2.50 MX$43.64

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 486

$3.19 MX$55.6

1493.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.50

$1.26 MX$21.91

69.84%

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

$33.3K NOK 319.0K

$29.7K MX$517.7K

12.27%

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

$30.4K NOK 291.0K

$23.7K MX$413.0K

28.35%

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

$162 NOK 1,552

$82.0 MX$1,430

97.66%

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

$32.24 NOK 309

$22.73 MX$396

41.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 734

$29.42 MX$513

160.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.64 NOK 466

$52.2 MX$910

-6.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.38 NOK 339

$18.45 MX$322

91.76%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 NOK 161

$4.93 MX$86.0

240.37%

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

$334 NOK 3,194

$202 MX$3,519

65.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,159 NOK 49.4K

$5,217 MX$91.0K

-1.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 NOK 718

$35.93 MX$627

108.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.21 NOK 318

$40.33 MX$703

-17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,131

$79.9 MX$1,393

47.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 NOK 1,303

$89.3 MX$1,557

52.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 NOK 12.4K

$948 MX$16.5K

36.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,627

$465 MX$8,114

116.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 NOK 20.9K

$1,630 MX$28.4K

34.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 NOK 14.1K

$1,193 MX$20.8K

23.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,805 NOK 55.6K

$3,933 MX$68.6K

47.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 NOK 38.0K

$6,428 MX$112.1K

-38.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 NOK 32.3K

$658 MX$11.5K

411.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

11.42

-62.61%

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

Last update for Harstad: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,298 in Harstad and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 412% 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 Harstad vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 412% higher in Harstad, 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: $1,298 in Harstad versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Harstad. 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 $121 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,470 in Harstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Harstad. 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 Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harstad 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 96% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.