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: $2,422 in Harstad versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,693 in Harstad versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Harstad versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harstad is roughly 87% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harstad is 81% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 NOK 128

$11.73 MX$205

15.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,129

$41.62 MX$727

187.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.33 NOK 145

$10.64 MX$186

44.08%

Cappuccino

$6.05 NOK 57.2

$3.52 MX$61.5

71.87%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.61

$1.51 MX$26.37

128.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 NOK 28.30

$0.97 MX$17.00

208.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.22 NOK 106

$2.95 MX$51.5

280.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.32 NOK 107

$4.45 MX$77.8

154.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 NOK 21.90

$1.38 MX$24.16

68.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 NOK 29.82

$1.89 MX$33.04

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 NOK 28.35

$1.64 MX$28.59

82.93%

Eggs

$4.18 NOK 39.48

$2.51 MX$43.76

66.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 NOK 99.9

$8.34 MX$146

26.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.92 NOK 141

$8.34 MX$146

78.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$37.12 NOK 351

$10.73 MX$187

245.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 NOK 38.37

$2.60 MX$45.48

56.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 25.35

$1.46 MX$25.45

83.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 32.74

$1.90 MX$33.19

82.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 NOK 44.15

$2.08 MX$36.26

124.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.86

$1.78 MX$31.01

11.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.72

$2.19 MX$38.16

-9.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.23

$1.04 MX$18.16

166.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NOK 16.90

$1.08 MX$18.80

65.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.21 NOK 144

$4.08 MX$71.3

272.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.00 NOK 151

$10.32 MX$180

55.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.56 NOK 33.64

$1.71 MX$29.90

108.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 NOK 42.56

$2.58 MX$44.98

74.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.95 NOK 56.3

$0.51 MX$8.90

1066.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 771

$26.46 MX$462

208.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.47 NOK 118

$3.26 MX$57.0

282.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.57

$2.49 MX$43.51

-42.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.3 NOK 485

$3.25 MX$56.7

1478.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.96

$1.31 MX$22.83

61.07%

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

$33.6K NOK 317.9K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

11.04%

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

$30.8K NOK 291.6K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

31.66%

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

$160 NOK 1,509

$82.9 MX$1,447

92.63%

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

$33.10 NOK 313

$22.22 MX$388

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 NOK 728

$29.34 MX$512

162.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.67 NOK 470

$51.6 MX$902

-3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.08 NOK 341

$18.32 MX$320

96.94%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 NOK 161

$5.07 MX$88.5

235.11%

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

$329 NOK 3,110

$201 MX$3,507

63.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,131 NOK 48.5K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

-1.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 NOK 730

$36.92 MX$645

109.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.44 NOK 316

$39.79 MX$695

-15.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NOK 1,113

$78.5 MX$1,370

50.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NOK 1,269

$87.1 MX$1,521

54.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 NOK 12.6K

$973 MX$17.0K

36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 NOK 9,490

$468 MX$8,169

114.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 NOK 20.9K

$1,641 MX$28.7K

34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 NOK 14.1K

$1,221 MX$21.3K

22.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,005 NOK 56.8K

$3,946 MX$68.9K

52.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,540 NOK 42.9K

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-30.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 NOK 33.9K

$664 MX$11.6K

439.34%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,330 in Harstad and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 439% 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: $119 in Harstad vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $476 vs $249 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 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Harstad pays 439% 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: $1,330 in Harstad versus $973 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 $119 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,422 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 87% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.