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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Holmestrand versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,575 in Holmestrand versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,810 in Holmestrand versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Holmestrand is roughly 82% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Holmestrand is 75% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 NOK 180

$11.94 MX$209

61.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 933

$42.75 MX$748

134.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.52 NOK 126

$10.59 MX$185

27.67%

Cappuccino

$4.95 NOK 46.15

$3.62 MX$63.4

36.74%

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

$2.03 NOK 18.93

$1.47 MX$25.69

38.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 NOK 18.66

$0.94 MX$16.51

112.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.17 NOK 85.5

$3.09 MX$54.1

196.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 NOK 91.6

$4.46 MX$78.0

120.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 NOK 14.72

$1.43 MX$24.94

10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 NOK 31.64

$1.88 MX$32.97

80.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 NOK 18.65

$1.63 MX$28.50

22.70%

Eggs

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$2.64 MX$46.26

51.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 NOK 102

$8.21 MX$144

33.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 NOK 129

$8.29 MX$145

66.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.56 NOK 378

$11.10 MX$194

265.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.17

$2.65 MX$46.40

-22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.18

$1.50 MX$26.26

51.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.33

$1.99 MX$34.79

58.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 NOK 22.76

$2.08 MX$36.33

17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 NOK 7.72

$1.79 MX$31.29

-53.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 NOK 12.63

$2.18 MX$38.09

-38.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NOK 26.95

$1.08 MX$18.84

167.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NOK 17.21

$1.04 MX$18.15

77.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.38 NOK 134

$3.97 MX$69.5

262.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.42 NOK 181

$10.20 MX$179

90.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 NOK 28.91

$1.73 MX$30.22

79.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 NOK 36.53

$2.50 MX$43.71

56.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 NOK 38.67

$0.52 MX$9.07

698.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 NOK 687

$26.97 MX$472

173.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.96 NOK 83.5

$3.14 MX$55.0

185.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 NOK 9.45

$2.40 MX$42.04

-57.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.2 NOK 925

$3.09 MX$54.0

3111.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.50

$1.27 MX$22.28

64.57%

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

$37.4K NOK 348.2K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

20.97%

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

$33.9K NOK 315.5K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

45.22%

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

$220 NOK 2,046

$82.0 MX$1,435

167.69%

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

$43.25 NOK 403

$22.45 MX$393

92.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.38 NOK 348

$29.66 MX$519

26.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.69 NOK 463

$51.9 MX$908

-4.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.42 NOK 330

$18.67 MX$327

89.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 NOK 139

$4.97 MX$87.0

200.60%

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

$307 NOK 2,858

$198 MX$3,462

55.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 94.3K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

91.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,051

$36.34 MX$636

210.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 NOK 282

$40.05 MX$701

-24.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 NOK 934

$79.9 MX$1,398

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,239

$88.9 MX$1,555

49.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 NOK 11.3K

$963 MX$16.9K

26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 NOK 8,222

$465 MX$8,133

89.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,810 NOK 16.9K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 NOK 14.4K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

27.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,105 NOK 56.9K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

54.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,659 NOK 43.4K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-27.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,752 NOK 35.0K

$720 MX$12.6K

420.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-82.49%

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

Last update for Holmestrand: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,216 in Holmestrand and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Holmestrand pays 421% 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: $100 in Holmestrand vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Holmestrand. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Holmestrand pays 421% 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: $1,216 in Holmestrand versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Holmestrand versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,340 in Holmestrand, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Holmestrand. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Holmestrand 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 82% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.