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: $2,297 in Holmestrand versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,561 in Holmestrand versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,826 in Holmestrand versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Holmestrand is roughly 81% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Holmestrand is 71% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.11 NOK 181

$11.87 MX$204

60.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 NOK 943

$42.90 MX$736

131.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.51 NOK 128

$10.65 MX$183

26.85%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.47

$3.45 MX$59.2

42.03%

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

$2.06 NOK 19.52

$1.50 MX$25.81

37.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NOK 19.69

$0.95 MX$16.28

117.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.18 NOK 87.1

$3.03 MX$51.9

202.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.51 NOK 90.3

$4.61 MX$79.1

106.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 NOK 15.11

$1.38 MX$23.61

15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 NOK 30.99

$1.85 MX$31.70

76.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.60

$1.61 MX$27.65

27.95%

Eggs

$4.01 NOK 38.07

$2.59 MX$44.51

54.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 NOK 103

$8.26 MX$142

31.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.95 NOK 132

$8.37 MX$144

66.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.21 NOK 382

$10.66 MX$183

277.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 NOK 18.77

$2.63 MX$45.12

-24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NOK 22.15

$1.49 MX$25.53

56.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 31.51

$1.92 MX$32.94

72.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 NOK 22.41

$2.09 MX$35.81

12.92%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 NOK 7.33

$1.86 MX$31.88

-58.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 NOK 12.22

$2.26 MX$38.81

-42.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 NOK 28.55

$1.06 MX$18.23

183.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.33

$1.09 MX$18.67

67.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.13 NOK 134

$4.15 MX$71.2

240.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.61 NOK 177

$10.39 MX$178

79.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 NOK 28.60

$1.72 MX$29.59

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 NOK 37.21

$2.61 MX$44.85

50.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.19

$0.54 MX$9.30

664.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.0 NOK 692

$26.94 MX$462

170.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.90 NOK 84.4

$3.13 MX$53.7

184.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 NOK 9.01

$2.51 MX$43.09

-62.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 970

$3.15 MX$54.1

3144.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.12

$1.27 MX$21.88

66.93%

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

$38.3K NOK 363.7K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

26.16%

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

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

45.77%

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

$216 NOK 2,052

$83.0 MX$1,425

160.42%

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

$44.01 NOK 418

$22.71 MX$390

93.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.22 NOK 353

$29.46 MX$506

26.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 NOK 465

$51.0 MX$875

-4.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.80 NOK 330

$18.33 MX$315

89.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 NOK 142

$4.93 MX$84.5

202.43%

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

$310 NOK 2,941

$197 MX$3,386

57.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.3K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

94.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 NOK 1,040

$36.90 MX$633

197.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 NOK 284

$39.89 MX$685

-25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 NOK 932

$80.0 MX$1,373

22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 NOK 1,264

$89.5 MX$1,536

48.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 NOK 11.5K

$956 MX$16.4K

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 NOK 8,597

$477 MX$8,189

89.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 NOK 17.5K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 NOK 14.5K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

24.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,481 NOK 61.5K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

65.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,913 NOK 37.1K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-39.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,213 in Holmestrand and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Holmestrand vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $250 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 81% 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 $3,445 in Holmestrand and $1,906 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: $1,213 in Holmestrand versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $310 in Holmestrand versus $197 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,297 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 $1,271 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 81% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.