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: $2,485 in Harstad versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Harstad versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,912 in Harstad versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harstad is roughly 97% more expensive than 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

$13.48 NOK 125

$11.67 MX$202

15.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,145

$41.88 MX$726

194.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.11 NOK 140

$10.40 MX$180

45.29%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 55.7

$3.61 MX$62.6

65.93%

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

$3.44 NOK 31.99

$1.47 MX$25.45

134.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 28.55

$0.91 MX$15.80

237.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.11 NOK 103

$3.03 MX$52.6

266.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.20 NOK 104

$4.47 MX$77.4

150.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.67

$1.38 MX$23.83

68.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 NOK 29.38

$1.84 MX$31.93

71.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.84

$1.61 MX$27.82

92.55%

Eggs

$4.28 NOK 39.79

$2.57 MX$44.52

66.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 98.2

$8.49 MX$147

24.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 NOK 141

$8.49 MX$147

78.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$38.04 NOK 354

$10.99 MX$190

246.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 NOK 36.12

$2.73 MX$47.25

42.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$1.50 MX$25.92

84.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 NOK 32.72

$1.96 MX$33.93

79.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 NOK 43.16

$2.12 MX$36.70

118.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.54

$1.86 MX$32.30

6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.10

$2.17 MX$37.67

-5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 NOK 24.91

$1.07 MX$18.59

150.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.40

$1.05 MX$18.18

67.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.25 NOK 142

$4.19 MX$72.6

263.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.36 NOK 152

$10.28 MX$178

59.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 NOK 33.66

$1.67 MX$28.87

116.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 NOK 42.14

$2.49 MX$43.12

81.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.03 NOK 56.1

$0.54 MX$9.37

1016.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 NOK 737

$26.27 MX$455

201.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.82 NOK 119

$3.10 MX$53.8

313.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.41

$2.46 MX$42.66

-41.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 NOK 470

$3.24 MX$56.1

1459.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 19.78

$1.26 MX$21.83

69.05%

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

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

11.17%

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

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

29.48%

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

$159 NOK 1,480

$84.0 MX$1,456

89.51%

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

$33.50 NOK 312

$22.21 MX$385

50.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 NOK 714

$29.65 MX$514

158.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.47 NOK 451

$52.6 MX$912

-7.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.46 NOK 330

$18.34 MX$318

93.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 NOK 155

$4.95 MX$85.7

236.36%

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

$336 NOK 3,125

$198 MX$3,438

69.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-5.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 718

$35.95 MX$623

114.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.68 NOK 304

$40.06 MX$694

-18.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 NOK 1,089

$78.8 MX$1,365

48.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,260

$86.5 MX$1,499

56.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

$977 MX$16.9K

36.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NOK 9,498

$471 MX$8,158

116.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

18.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

48.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-29.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

$714 MX$12.4K

398.86%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,331 in Harstad and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 399% 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 Harstad vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 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 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 399% 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: $1,331 in Harstad versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% 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 $123 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,485 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 97% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.