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: $2,675 in Lillestrom versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,144 in Lillestrom versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,613 in Lillestrom versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 107% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.84 NOK 203

$11.71 MX$198

86.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 NOK 1,157

$46.59 MX$786

166.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 NOK 107

$11.65 MX$197

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$6.21 NOK 57.8

$4.09 MX$69.1

51.83%

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

$4.09 NOK 38.07

$1.37 MX$23.20

198.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 30.62

$0.83 MX$14.07

296.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.09 NOK 112

$3.35 MX$56.6

260.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.79 NOK 100

$6.91 MX$117

56.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 NOK 23.27

$1.73 MX$29.15

44.51%

White Bread (500g)

$5.05 NOK 47.00

$2.26 MX$38.15

123.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 NOK 39.08

$1.77 MX$29.86

137.29%

Eggs

$5.88 NOK 54.8

$2.73 MX$46.12

115.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 125

$9.18 MX$155

46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 NOK 132

$8.92 MX$151

58.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.86 NOK 259

$12.60 MX$213

121.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.89

$3.02 MX$51.0

20.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 NOK 26.54

$1.57 MX$26.51

81.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 NOK 38.77

$2.13 MX$35.88

95.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 NOK 49.33

$2.26 MX$38.22

134.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 NOK 27.60

$2.00 MX$33.82

48.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 34.98

$2.06 MX$34.85

82.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 NOK 17.80

$1.18 MX$19.91

61.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NOK 21.43

$1.20 MX$20.32

91.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.05 NOK 168

$4.63 MX$78.2

289.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.39 NOK 162

$10.69 MX$180

62.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.81 NOK 54.0

$1.62 MX$27.33

258.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 NOK 53.5

$2.88 MX$48.63

99.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.85 NOK 45.12

$0.57 MX$9.68

750.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NOK 796

$29.83 MX$503

186.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.06 NOK 122

$5.45 MX$91.9

139.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 17.74

$3.70 MX$62.5

-48.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.2 NOK 579

$5.98 MX$101

940.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.71

$1.55 MX$26.22

50.32%

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

$48.6K NOK 451.9K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

117.47%

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

$43.3K NOK 403.2K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

66.98%

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

$237 NOK 2,203

$89.1 MX$1,504

165.60%

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

$30.39 NOK 283

$25.04 MX$423

21.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 NOK 525

$31.50 MX$532

79.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NOK 472

$67.8 MX$1,144

-25.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.77 NOK 342

$28.92 MX$488

27.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 NOK 164

$5.05 MX$85.2

249.90%

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

$316 NOK 2,944

$225 MX$3,797

40.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K NOK 114.2K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

190.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 NOK 944

$47.44 MX$801

113.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 NOK 525

$44.98 MX$759

25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 NOK 1,176

$82.0 MX$1,384

54.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,511

$92.1 MX$1,555

76.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 NOK 12.1K

$1,069 MX$18.0K

21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NOK 9,496

$405 MX$6,842

151.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 NOK 18.8K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 NOK 15.7K

$1,301 MX$22.0K

29.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,118 NOK 66.2K

$3,995 MX$67.4K

78.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,682 NOK 34.3K

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-44.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,787 NOK 35.2K

$749 MX$12.6K

405.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

11.45

-56.68%

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

Last update for Lillestrom: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,300 in Lillestrom and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 406% 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: $124 in Lillestrom vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $277 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 107% 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.

Average pay runs 406% higher in Lillestrom, 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: $1,300 in Lillestrom versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Lillestrom versus $225 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 86% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,675 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 $1,293 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 107% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.