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: $2,557 in Lillestrom versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,952 in Lillestrom versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,346 in Lillestrom versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 103% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 91% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 NOK 199

$11.95 MX$208

73.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.8 NOK 957

$41.94 MX$730

138.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 NOK 106

$10.42 MX$181

5.66%

Cappuccino

$4.90 NOK 46.96

$3.51 MX$61.2

39.60%

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

$2.51 NOK 24.07

$1.52 MX$26.39

65.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 21.02

$0.91 MX$15.84

140.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 NOK 89.0

$3.04 MX$52.9

205.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.20 NOK 97.8

$4.37 MX$76.1

133.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 NOK 20.98

$1.42 MX$24.73

54.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 NOK 32.05

$1.83 MX$31.87

82.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 NOK 31.18

$1.63 MX$28.45

99.39%

Eggs

$4.17 NOK 40.01

$2.54 MX$44.20

64.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 NOK 110

$8.57 MX$149

34.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 NOK 131

$8.49 MX$148

61.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.08 NOK 241

$10.80 MX$188

132.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 30.16

$2.75 MX$47.94

14.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 NOK 22.47

$1.44 MX$25.00

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 NOK 32.26

$1.89 MX$32.83

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NOK 38.63

$2.17 MX$37.77

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.63

$1.78 MX$30.97

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 20.37

$2.22 MX$38.71

-4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NOK 19.91

$1.07 MX$18.60

94.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.16

$1.08 MX$18.79

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.44 NOK 139

$4.15 MX$72.2

247.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 NOK 161

$10.45 MX$182

61.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NOK 30.42

$1.74 MX$30.34

82.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 NOK 37.09

$2.58 MX$44.92

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.06

$0.51 MX$8.94

719.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NOK 699

$25.94 MX$451

181.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 NOK 47.72

$3.21 MX$55.9

55.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.47

$2.50 MX$43.55

-44.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.0 NOK 585

$3.19 MX$55.4

1811.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.66

$1.26 MX$21.87

70.63%

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

$34.5K NOK 330.6K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

16.12%

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

$30.7K NOK 294.5K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

29.65%

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

$60.1 NOK 576

$82.0 MX$1,427

-26.80%

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

$43.09 NOK 413

$22.73 MX$395

89.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.40 NOK 359

$29.42 MX$512

27.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.0 NOK 681

$52.2 MX$908

36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.77 NOK 170

$18.45 MX$321

-3.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.42 NOK 138

$4.93 MX$85.9

192.49%

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

$237 NOK 2,276

$202 MX$3,511

17.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,234 NOK 40.6K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

-18.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 NOK 932

$35.93 MX$625

170.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.01 NOK 460

$40.33 MX$702

19.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 NOK 945

$79.9 MX$1,390

23.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 NOK 1,720

$89.3 MX$1,554

100.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 NOK 11.6K

$948 MX$16.5K

27.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 NOK 11.5K

$465 MX$8,097

158.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,475 NOK 23.7K

$1,630 MX$28.4K

51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,209 NOK 21.2K

$1,193 MX$20.8K

85.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,785 NOK 65.1K

$3,933 MX$68.4K

72.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,466 NOK 42.8K

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-30.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,658 NOK 35.1K

$658 MX$11.5K

455.70%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,212 in Lillestrom and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 456% 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: $100 in Lillestrom vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $426 vs $252 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 103% 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 456% 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: $1,212 in Lillestrom versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $237 in Lillestrom versus $202 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 69% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,557 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 $1,259 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 103% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.