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: $2,886 in Holmestrand versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,324 in Holmestrand versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,763 in Holmestrand versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Holmestrand is roughly 128% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Holmestrand is 111% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.57 NOK 203

$11.60 MX$199

85.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 NOK 1,230

$47.11 MX$809

177.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.98 NOK 150

$11.88 MX$204

34.51%

Cappuccino

$5.99 NOK 56.4

$3.98 MX$68.2

50.50%

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

$4.28 NOK 40.31

$1.43 MX$24.49

199.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.32

$0.82 MX$14.16

304.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.62 NOK 109

$3.19 MX$54.7

264.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.83 NOK 121

$6.79 MX$117

88.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 NOK 23.99

$1.68 MX$28.76

51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 NOK 38.83

$2.20 MX$37.71

87.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 NOK 44.34

$1.71 MX$29.32

175.44%

Eggs

$6.21 NOK 58.5

$2.74 MX$47.05

126.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.05 NOK 142

$9.58 MX$164

57.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.44 NOK 145

$9.01 MX$155

71.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.69 NOK 280

$12.81 MX$220

131.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.74

$2.89 MX$49.58

16.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.74

$1.50 MX$25.70

75.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 NOK 34.35

$2.15 MX$36.87

69.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 NOK 56.9

$2.26 MX$38.79

167.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NOK 25.76

$1.98 MX$34.00

37.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.73

$1.99 MX$34.15

47.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.24 NOK 30.52

$1.23 MX$21.18

163.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 NOK 22.86

$1.20 MX$20.54

102.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.96 NOK 179

$4.55 MX$78.1

316.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.10 NOK 161

$10.37 MX$178

64.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NOK 34.44

$1.62 MX$27.79

125.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 NOK 40.12

$2.88 MX$49.44

47.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.09 NOK 47.92

$0.60 MX$10.30

748.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.4 NOK 852

$28.80 MX$494

213.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.27 NOK 116

$5.39 MX$92.5

127.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 18.06

$3.73 MX$64.0

-48.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$72.6 NOK 684

$5.77 MX$99.0

1157.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.35

$1.54 MX$26.37

47.40%

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

$48.9K NOK 461.0K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

117.01%

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

$45.1K NOK 424.4K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

72.91%

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

$431 NOK 4,062

$91.4 MX$1,569

371.88%

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

$32.84 NOK 309

$25.20 MX$433

30.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 NOK 532

$31.24 MX$536

80.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 NOK 536

$67.2 MX$1,154

-15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.52 NOK 306

$29.11 MX$500

11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.33 NOK 182

$4.86 MX$83.5

297.74%

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

$249 NOK 2,344

$224 MX$3,839

11.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K NOK 151.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

280.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 NOK 986

$47.10 MX$808

122.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 NOK 573

$44.29 MX$760

37.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 NOK 1,279

$80.1 MX$1,375

69.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NOK 1,535

$92.7 MX$1,591

75.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 NOK 11.9K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

19.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 NOK 10.1K

$390 MX$6,698

173.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 NOK 20.9K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 NOK 18.4K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

53.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,013 NOK 56.6K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

50.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,360 NOK 41.1K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-32.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

11.45

-56.51%

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

Last update for Holmestrand: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Holmestrand and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $131 in Holmestrand vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 128% 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 $4,329 in Holmestrand and $1,899 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: $1,267 in Holmestrand versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $249 in Holmestrand versus $224 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 87% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,886 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 $1,266 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 128% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.