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: $2,539 in Lillestrom versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,976 in Lillestrom versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,413 in Lillestrom versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lillestrom is roughly 101% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lillestrom is 89% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 NOK 194

$11.67 MX$202

78.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 931

$41.88 MX$726

139.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 NOK 102

$10.40 MX$180

5.00%

Cappuccino

$4.84 NOK 45.03

$3.61 MX$62.6

34.07%

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

$2.42 NOK 22.51

$1.47 MX$25.45

64.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NOK 20.05

$0.91 MX$15.80

137.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.90 NOK 82.7

$3.03 MX$52.6

193.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.21 NOK 95.0

$4.47 MX$77.4

128.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.16

$1.38 MX$23.83

57.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 NOK 31.44

$1.84 MX$31.93

83.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NOK 29.53

$1.61 MX$27.82

96.89%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 38.52

$2.57 MX$44.52

61.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 NOK 106

$8.49 MX$147

34.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.98 NOK 130

$8.49 MX$147

64.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.65 NOK 229

$10.99 MX$190

124.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 28.96

$2.73 MX$47.25

13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.57

$1.50 MX$25.92

54.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.47

$1.96 MX$33.93

67.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 NOK 38.79

$2.12 MX$36.70

96.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 NOK 20.49

$1.86 MX$32.30

18.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.64

$2.17 MX$37.67

2.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NOK 18.67

$1.07 MX$18.59

87.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NOK 16.90

$1.05 MX$18.18

73.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 NOK 130

$4.19 MX$72.6

233.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.08 NOK 159

$10.28 MX$178

66.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 NOK 29.60

$1.67 MX$28.87

90.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 NOK 37.78

$2.49 MX$43.12

63.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 38.87

$0.54 MX$9.37

674.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 NOK 681

$26.27 MX$455

178.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 NOK 46.95

$3.10 MX$53.8

62.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.93

$2.46 MX$42.66

-43.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.6 NOK 573

$3.24 MX$56.1

1801.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.45

$1.26 MX$21.83

74.60%

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

$34.4K NOK 319.7K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

13.97%

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

$30.7K NOK 285.2K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

30.81%

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

$60.9 NOK 566

$84.0 MX$1,456

-27.52%

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

$44.30 NOK 412

$22.21 MX$385

99.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.96 NOK 353

$29.65 MX$514

28.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 NOK 653

$52.6 MX$912

33.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.02 NOK 168

$18.34 MX$318

-1.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 NOK 139

$4.95 MX$85.7

201.41%

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

$233 NOK 2,168

$198 MX$3,438

17.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,128 NOK 38.4K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-22.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.0 NOK 893

$35.95 MX$623

167.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.15 NOK 439

$40.06 MX$694

17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 NOK 919

$78.8 MX$1,365

25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$178 NOK 1,653

$86.5 MX$1,499

105.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 NOK 11.3K

$977 MX$16.9K

24.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 NOK 11.3K

$471 MX$8,158

157.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 NOK 23.5K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

58.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 NOK 20.9K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

84.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,923 NOK 55.1K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

46.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,555 NOK 42.4K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-30.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,858 NOK 35.9K

$714 MX$12.4K

440.16%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,220 in Lillestrom and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 440% 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 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 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 101% 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 440% 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: $1,220 in Lillestrom versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $233 in Lillestrom versus $198 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 $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,539 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 $1,261 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 101% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.