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 $1,992 per month in Lillehammer vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,975 per month in Lillehammer vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,957 per month in Lillehammer vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Lillehammer costs about 59% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lillehammer sits 49% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.31 NOK 157

$11.99 MX$210

36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 NOK 789

$41.78 MX$731

96.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.30 NOK 138

$10.75 MX$188

33.02%

Cappuccino

$4.80 NOK 46.24

$3.50 MX$61.1

37.14%

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

$2.74 NOK 26.40

$1.45 MX$25.33

88.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NOK 21.19

$0.88 MX$15.47

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 NOK 89.1

$2.95 MX$51.6

213.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 NOK 65.1

$4.51 MX$78.9

49.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 NOK 19.65

$1.43 MX$25.04

42.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 NOK 19.84

$1.84 MX$32.13

11.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 NOK 19.76

$1.57 MX$27.42

30.57%

Eggs

$3.00 NOK 28.92

$2.51 MX$43.92

19.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 NOK 119

$8.28 MX$145

48.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.27 NOK 98.9

$8.43 MX$147

21.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.05 NOK 270

$10.68 MX$187

162.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 33.57

$2.61 MX$45.62

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.98

$1.44 MX$25.15

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.66

$1.96 MX$34.31

35.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.92

$2.09 MX$36.62

18.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 NOK 14.90

$1.85 MX$32.37

-16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NOK 19.66

$2.17 MX$37.90

-5.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 NOK 12.59

$1.03 MX$18.04

27.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 NOK 23.03

$1.07 MX$18.78

123.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.06 NOK 135

$4.10 MX$71.7

242.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 NOK 148

$10.17 MX$178

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 33.55

$1.68 MX$29.29

107.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 NOK 45.29

$2.53 MX$44.17

85.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 NOK 24.60

$0.51 MX$8.90

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.2 NOK 512

$26.04 MX$455

104.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 NOK 54.9

$3.23 MX$56.5

76.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 NOK 9.57

$2.41 MX$42.06

-58.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.8 NOK 489

$3.23 MX$56.5

1472.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 NOK 20.82

$1.32 MX$23.10

63.64%

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

$31.4K NOK 302.3K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

5.70%

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

$35.3K NOK 339.6K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

49.01%

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

$325 NOK 3,130

$82.0 MX$1,434

296.27%

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

$41.77 NOK 402

$22.95 MX$401

82.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.78 NOK 345

$30.11 MX$527

18.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.97 NOK 481

$52.0 MX$909

-3.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.32 NOK 340

$18.53 MX$324

90.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 NOK 118

$4.98 MX$87.0

145.18%

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

$300 NOK 2,890

$197 MX$3,452

51.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,625 NOK 83.1K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

61.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 NOK 887

$35.60 MX$622

158.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.59 NOK 295

$40.33 MX$705

-24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 NOK 692

$78.8 MX$1,377

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 NOK 1,261

$88.9 MX$1,555

47.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 NOK 9,562

$947 MX$16.6K

4.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 NOK 5,868

$474 MX$8,288

28.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 NOK 17.3K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

9.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 NOK 8,768

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-24.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,747 NOK 55.4K

$4,056 MX$70.9K

41.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,510 NOK 24.2K

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-61.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,013 NOK 19.4K

$654 MX$11.4K

207.84%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $993 in Lillehammer versus $947 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 208% 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 $82.0 in Lillehammer versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 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 59% 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 $2,989 per month in Lillehammer and $1,884 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 $82.0 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 $1,256, than in Lillehammer at $1,992. 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 $1,256 versus $1,992 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.