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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,507 in Lillestrom versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,952 in Lillestrom versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,397 in Lillestrom versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 93% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 87% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 NOK 193

$11.73 MX$205

73.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 974

$41.62 MX$727

147.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 NOK 101

$10.64 MX$186

0.85%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.30

$3.52 MX$61.5

39.20%

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

$2.46 NOK 23.21

$1.51 MX$26.37

62.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.44

$0.97 MX$17.00

122.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.21 NOK 87.1

$2.95 MX$51.5

212.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.18 NOK 96.3

$4.45 MX$77.8

128.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.02

$1.38 MX$24.16

53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 NOK 30.88

$1.89 MX$33.04

73.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 NOK 31.31

$1.64 MX$28.59

101.83%

Eggs

$4.29 NOK 40.53

$2.51 MX$43.76

70.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 NOK 109

$8.34 MX$146

38.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 NOK 133

$8.34 MX$146

68.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.22 NOK 229

$10.73 MX$187

125.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NOK 28.99

$2.60 MX$45.48

18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NOK 21.84

$1.46 MX$25.45

58.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 NOK 31.88

$1.90 MX$33.19

77.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.86

$2.08 MX$36.26

97.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.95

$1.78 MX$31.01

24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NOK 21.09

$2.19 MX$38.16

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NOK 18.62

$1.04 MX$18.16

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.43

$1.08 MX$18.80

70.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.29 NOK 135

$4.08 MX$71.3

250.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 160

$10.32 MX$180

64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.11

$1.71 MX$29.90

86.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 36.43

$2.58 MX$44.98

49.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 NOK 39.00

$0.51 MX$8.90

709.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 NOK 688

$26.46 MX$462

175.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.17 NOK 48.84

$3.26 MX$57.0

58.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.80

$2.49 MX$43.51

-41.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NOK 571

$3.25 MX$56.7

1756.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.83

$1.31 MX$22.83

60.31%

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

$34.3K NOK 323.9K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

13.14%

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

$30.8K NOK 290.8K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

31.30%

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

$60.0 NOK 567

$82.9 MX$1,447

-27.60%

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

$43.22 NOK 409

$22.22 MX$388

94.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 NOK 351

$29.34 MX$512

26.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 NOK 677

$51.6 MX$902

38.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.55 NOK 166

$18.32 MX$320

-4.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 NOK 141

$5.07 MX$88.5

194.08%

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

$240 NOK 2,266

$201 MX$3,507

19.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,228 NOK 40.0K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

-18.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NOK 921

$36.92 MX$645

163.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 NOK 444

$39.79 MX$695

18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 NOK 929

$78.5 MX$1,370

25.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$180 NOK 1,703

$87.1 MX$1,521

106.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 NOK 11.4K

$973 MX$17.0K

24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 NOK 11.6K

$468 MX$8,169

163.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,499 NOK 23.6K

$1,641 MX$28.7K

52.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 NOK 20.7K

$1,221 MX$21.3K

79.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,082 NOK 57.5K

$3,946 MX$68.9K

54.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,440 NOK 42.0K

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-31.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,818 NOK 36.1K

$664 MX$11.6K

475.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

11.42

-61.65%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Lillestrom and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 475% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $103 in Lillestrom vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $424 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Lillestrom. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lillestrom pays 475% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Lillestrom versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Lillestrom 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 70% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,507 in Lillestrom, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. 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 $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lillestrom 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 93% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.