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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,960 per month in Lillehammer vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,971 per month in Lillehammer vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,983 per month in Lillehammer vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lillehammer costs about 51% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lillehammer sits 46% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.34 NOK 152

$11.73 MX$203

39.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 NOK 745

$41.62 MX$720

92.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.21 NOK 132

$10.64 MX$184

33.55%

Cappuccino

$4.77 NOK 44.31

$3.52 MX$60.9

35.51%

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

$2.67 NOK 24.78

$1.51 MX$26.12

76.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NOK 20.95

$0.97 MX$16.84

131.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.17 NOK 85.2

$2.95 MX$51.0

210.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 NOK 60.1

$4.45 MX$77.0

45.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 NOK 18.99

$1.38 MX$23.93

47.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NOK 19.04

$1.89 MX$32.72

8.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.27

$1.64 MX$28.32

26.22%

Eggs

$3.06 NOK 28.44

$2.51 MX$43.34

21.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 NOK 111

$8.34 MX$144

43.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 NOK 92.9

$8.34 MX$144

19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.85 NOK 259

$10.73 MX$186

159.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.20

$2.60 MX$45.04

37.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.16

$1.46 MX$25.20

41.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 NOK 24.94

$1.90 MX$32.87

41.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 22.84

$2.08 MX$35.91

18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.46

$1.78 MX$30.71

-12.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 NOK 18.45

$2.19 MX$37.80

-9.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 NOK 12.58

$1.04 MX$17.99

29.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$1.08 MX$18.62

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.90 NOK 129

$4.08 MX$70.6

240.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 NOK 150

$10.32 MX$178

56.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.29

$1.71 MX$29.61

109.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.77 NOK 44.31

$2.58 MX$44.54

84.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 NOK 23.36

$0.51 MX$8.81

394.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 NOK 495

$26.46 MX$458

101.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 NOK 53.7

$3.26 MX$56.4

77.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 9.73

$2.49 MX$43.09

-57.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.99 NOK 464

$3.25 MX$56.2

1438.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 19.72

$1.31 MX$22.61

61.83%

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

$31.3K NOK 290.3K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

3.22%

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

$35.0K NOK 325.6K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

49.58%

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

$319 NOK 2,963

$82.9 MX$1,433

284.84%

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

$42.04 NOK 391

$22.22 MX$384

89.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.65 NOK 331

$29.34 MX$507

21.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 NOK 475

$51.6 MX$893

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.67 NOK 331

$18.32 MX$317

94.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 NOK 112

$5.07 MX$87.6

138.46%

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

$299 NOK 2,780

$201 MX$3,473

49.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,457 NOK 78.6K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

62.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 NOK 860

$36.92 MX$639

150.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.77 NOK 286

$39.79 MX$688

-22.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 NOK 658

$78.5 MX$1,357

-9.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NOK 1,228

$87.1 MX$1,506

51.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 NOK 9,349

$973 MX$16.8K

3.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 NOK 5,532

$468 MX$8,090

27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 NOK 17.2K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

12.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 NOK 8,585

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-24.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,957 NOK 55.3K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

50.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,675 NOK 24.9K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-58.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,132 NOK 19.8K

$664 MX$11.5K

221.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

11.42

-62.17%

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

Last update for Lillehammer: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,006 in Lillehammer versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 221% higher in Lillehammer, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Lillehammer versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Lillehammer costs about 51% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,940 per month in Lillehammer and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Lillehammer, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Lillehammer and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Lillehammer at $1,960. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lillehammer it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,297 versus $1,960 in Lillehammer. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lillehammer makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.