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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,221 in Longyearbyen versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,505 in Longyearbyen versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,789 in Longyearbyen versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 72% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Longyearbyen is 67% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 NOK 190

$11.73 MX$202

71.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 NOK 972

$41.78 MX$719

145.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 NOK 128

$10.41 MX$179

30.26%

Cappuccino

$6.42 NOK 60.8

$3.61 MX$62.1

77.84%

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

$3.63 NOK 34.40

$1.46 MX$25.06

148.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 NOK 34.99

$0.97 MX$16.70

280.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 NOK 69.8

$2.92 MX$50.3

152.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.38 NOK 88.8

$4.62 MX$79.5

103.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 NOK 28.59

$1.43 MX$24.59

111.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.30

$1.90 MX$32.70

79.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NOK 29.78

$1.57 MX$26.95

100.00%

Eggs

$4.92 NOK 46.60

$2.64 MX$45.34

86.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 NOK 101

$8.44 MX$145

26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.48 NOK 137

$8.58 MX$148

68.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.02 NOK 265

$11.00 MX$189

154.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 NOK 31.14

$2.70 MX$46.51

21.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 29.37

$1.51 MX$25.92

105.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NOK 30.16

$1.91 MX$32.93

66.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 NOK 42.76

$2.17 MX$37.37

107.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 NOK 30.74

$1.87 MX$32.25

73.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 NOK 33.18

$2.23 MX$38.43

56.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NOK 18.43

$1.08 MX$18.60

80.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 NOK 6.35

$1.07 MX$18.47

-37.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 NOK 142

$4.16 MX$71.6

261.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.41 NOK 137

$10.29 MX$177

40.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.27 NOK 30.97

$1.68 MX$28.95

94.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.14 NOK 39.24

$2.53 MX$43.59

63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.75

$0.55 MX$9.53

663.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 NOK 690

$26.29 MX$452

177.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NOK 95.7

$3.20 MX$55.0

215.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 NOK 9.99

$2.46 MX$42.37

-56.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.11 NOK 446

$3.20 MX$55.0

1372.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 NOK 20.13

$1.32 MX$22.72

61.36%

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

$35.3K NOK 334.2K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

17.00%

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

$38.0K NOK 359.9K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

62.41%

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

$75.4 NOK 714

$81.4 MX$1,400

-7.38%

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

$38.73 NOK 367

$22.41 MX$386

72.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.17 NOK 466

$29.97 MX$516

64.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.83 NOK 463

$51.6 MX$887

-5.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 333

$18.39 MX$316

91.19%

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 NOK 113

$5.16 MX$88.9

130.62%

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

$282 NOK 2,669

$202 MX$3,471

39.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,934 NOK 94.1K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

87.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 NOK 911

$35.61 MX$613

169.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 NOK 486

$40.37 MX$695

27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,046

$78.6 MX$1,353

40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,420

$86.9 MX$1,495

72.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 NOK 6,778

$950 MX$16.3K

-24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 NOK 8,429

$478 MX$8,227

86.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 NOK 17.5K

$1,621 MX$27.9K

13.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 NOK 14.3K

$1,223 MX$21.0K

23.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,828 NOK 55.2K

$4,009 MX$69.0K

45.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,300 NOK 40.7K

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-33.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,935 NOK 27.8K

$673 MX$11.6K

336.14%

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 Longyearbyen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Longyearbyen and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 336% 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 Longyearbyen vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $254 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Longyearbyen pays 336% 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: $716 in Longyearbyen versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 177% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $282 in Longyearbyen versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,221 in Longyearbyen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Longyearbyen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Longyearbyen 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 72% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.