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: $2,359 in Holmestrand versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,603 in Holmestrand versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,846 in Holmestrand versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Holmestrand is 77% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.56 NOK 186

$11.72 MX$203

66.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 948

$41.89 MX$725

138.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.39 NOK 127

$10.51 MX$182

27.40%

Cappuccino

$4.85 NOK 45.95

$3.59 MX$62.0

35.10%

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

$1.97 NOK 18.69

$1.51 MX$26.10

30.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 NOK 18.74

$0.92 MX$15.83

115.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.17 NOK 86.9

$2.96 MX$51.2

209.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.41 NOK 89.2

$4.41 MX$76.3

113.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 NOK 15.68

$1.40 MX$24.16

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 NOK 31.22

$1.88 MX$32.60

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NOK 18.60

$1.56 MX$26.97

25.64%

Eggs

$4.17 NOK 39.50

$2.61 MX$45.14

59.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 NOK 106

$8.32 MX$144

34.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.10 NOK 134

$8.35 MX$145

68.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.17 NOK 381

$10.86 MX$188

269.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.87

$2.71 MX$46.93

-26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NOK 22.16

$1.51 MX$26.04

54.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 30.04

$1.87 MX$32.41

69.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 NOK 22.44

$2.19 MX$37.89

8.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 NOK 7.54

$1.86 MX$32.14

-56.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 NOK 12.83

$2.23 MX$38.59

-39.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 NOK 26.95

$1.07 MX$18.48

165.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.22

$1.09 MX$18.79

76.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 NOK 132

$4.19 MX$72.4

232.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.98 NOK 170

$10.43 MX$180

72.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 NOK 28.47

$1.66 MX$28.68

80.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 38.19

$2.61 MX$45.19

54.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.21 NOK 39.92

$0.54 MX$9.37

679.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 NOK 708

$26.16 MX$453

185.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.04 NOK 85.7

$3.08 MX$53.3

193.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 NOK 8.91

$2.40 MX$41.61

-60.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.3 NOK 941

$3.13 MX$54.1

3071.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.07

$1.31 MX$22.69

61.83%

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

$38.3K NOK 363.1K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

28.48%

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

$33.5K NOK 318.0K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

43.78%

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

$219 NOK 2,079

$81.3 MX$1,406

169.81%

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

$43.10 NOK 409

$22.56 MX$390

91.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.56 NOK 366

$30.05 MX$520

28.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.42 NOK 459

$52.9 MX$915

-8.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.31 NOK 335

$18.39 MX$318

92.01%

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 NOK 144

$4.92 MX$85.1

207.72%

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

$302 NOK 2,866

$201 MX$3,474

50.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 96.2K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

95.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,039

$35.92 MX$622

205.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.04 NOK 285

$40.13 MX$694

-25.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 NOK 935

$79.7 MX$1,379

23.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,265

$86.5 MX$1,496

54.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NOK 11.5K

$978 MX$16.9K

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 NOK 8,526

$470 MX$8,140

91.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 NOK 17.0K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 NOK 14.8K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

29.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,686 NOK 53.9K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

43.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,422 NOK 32.4K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-48.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,217 in Holmestrand and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Holmestrand vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 87% 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.

You'd need roughly $3,538 in Holmestrand and $1,890 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,217 in Holmestrand versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Holmestrand versus $201 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 77% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,359 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 $1,260 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 87% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.