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: $2,626 in Harstad versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,908 in Harstad versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Harstad versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harstad is roughly 107% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 NOK 134

$11.60 MX$200

22.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,027

$47.11 MX$812

131.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.17 NOK 152

$11.88 MX$205

36.11%

Cappuccino

$6.56 NOK 61.9

$3.98 MX$68.6

64.82%

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

$3.84 NOK 36.18

$1.43 MX$24.60

168.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.98

$0.82 MX$14.22

287.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.72 NOK 120

$3.19 MX$55.0

298.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.91 NOK 131

$6.79 MX$117

104.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 24.32

$1.68 MX$28.89

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 NOK 32.77

$2.20 MX$37.88

58.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.06

$1.71 MX$29.45

92.98%

Eggs

$4.58 NOK 43.18

$2.74 MX$47.26

67.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 NOK 105

$9.58 MX$165

16.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.09 NOK 142

$9.01 MX$155

67.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.47 NOK 400

$12.81 MX$221

231.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 NOK 39.94

$2.89 MX$49.81

46.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.73

$1.50 MX$25.81

96.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 NOK 35.95

$2.15 MX$37.03

77.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 45.12

$2.26 MX$38.96

111.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.37

$1.98 MX$34.15

9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NOK 20.48

$1.99 MX$34.30

9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 NOK 28.50

$1.23 MX$21.28

145.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 22.71

$1.20 MX$20.63

100.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.82 NOK 158

$4.55 MX$78.5

269.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 NOK 149

$10.37 MX$179

52.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 NOK 38.03

$1.62 MX$27.91

149.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 NOK 46.97

$2.88 MX$49.67

72.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.22 NOK 58.6

$0.60 MX$10.35

936.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 NOK 796

$28.80 MX$497

193.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.02 NOK 151

$5.39 MX$92.9

197.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NOK 17.32

$3.73 MX$64.3

-50.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.9 NOK 536

$5.77 MX$99.5

886.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.20

$1.54 MX$26.48

46.10%

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

$37.6K NOK 354.3K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

66.74%

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

$32.0K NOK 301.4K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

22.76%

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

$168 NOK 1,582

$91.4 MX$1,576

83.71%

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

$34.80 NOK 328

$25.20 MX$435

38.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 NOK 771

$31.24 MX$539

162.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NOK 482

$67.2 MX$1,159

-23.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.78 NOK 356

$29.11 MX$502

29.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 NOK 165

$4.86 MX$83.8

261.11%

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

$246 NOK 2,319

$224 MX$3,856

10.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,377 NOK 50.7K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

27.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 NOK 647

$47.10 MX$812

45.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 NOK 339

$44.29 MX$764

-18.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,170

$80.1 MX$1,381

54.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,580

$92.7 MX$1,598

80.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 NOK 13.1K

$1,063 MX$18.3K

30.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 NOK 10.3K

$390 MX$6,728

179.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,321 NOK 21.9K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

8.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 NOK 14.4K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

20.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,192 NOK 58.3K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

54.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,126 NOK 38.9K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-36.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

$758 MX$13.1K

375.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Harstad: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Harstad and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 376% 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: $109 in Harstad vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $520 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

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 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 376% 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: $1,387 in Harstad 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 89% 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 $47.00 versus $109 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,626 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 107% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.