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: $2,219 in Longyearbyen versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,482 in Longyearbyen versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,744 in Longyearbyen versus $3,082 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 66% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 NOK 185

$11.94 MX$209

65.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 NOK 933

$42.75 MX$748

134.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.40 NOK 125

$10.59 MX$185

26.53%

Cappuccino

$6.42 NOK 59.9

$3.62 MX$63.4

77.35%

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

$3.71 NOK 34.61

$1.47 MX$25.69

152.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 36.01

$0.94 MX$16.51

310.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 NOK 65.7

$3.09 MX$54.1

128.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 NOK 92.0

$4.46 MX$78.0

121.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 NOK 27.92

$1.43 MX$24.94

109.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 NOK 31.00

$1.88 MX$32.97

77.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.60

$1.63 MX$28.50

101.23%

Eggs

$4.87 NOK 45.40

$2.64 MX$46.26

84.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 NOK 96.9

$8.21 MX$144

26.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.82 NOK 138

$8.29 MX$145

78.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.45 NOK 265

$11.10 MX$194

156.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 NOK 29.73

$2.65 MX$46.40

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 NOK 28.86

$1.50 MX$26.26

106.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NOK 29.03

$1.99 MX$34.79

56.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NOK 42.51

$2.08 MX$36.33

119.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.31

$1.79 MX$31.29

75.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.34 NOK 31.11

$2.18 MX$38.09

53.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 NOK 17.98

$1.08 MX$18.84

78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 NOK 6.22

$1.04 MX$18.15

-35.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 NOK 143

$3.97 MX$69.5

285.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 NOK 139

$10.20 MX$179

45.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 NOK 30.86

$1.73 MX$30.22

91.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.21

$2.50 MX$43.71

64.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 NOK 38.60

$0.52 MX$9.07

696.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.5 NOK 676

$26.97 MX$472

168.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 NOK 92.7

$3.14 MX$55.0

216.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 NOK 9.50

$2.40 MX$42.04

-57.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.01 NOK 429

$3.09 MX$54.0

1389.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.90

$1.27 MX$22.28

59.84%

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

$36.0K NOK 335.1K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

16.43%

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

$39.1K NOK 364.9K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

67.91%

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

$75.6 NOK 705

$82.0 MX$1,435

-7.78%

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

$38.43 NOK 358

$22.45 MX$393

71.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.69 NOK 463

$29.66 MX$519

67.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 NOK 468

$51.9 MX$908

-3.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.81 NOK 334

$18.67 MX$327

91.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 NOK 114

$4.97 MX$87.0

146.28%

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

$280 NOK 2,614

$198 MX$3,462

41.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 96.1K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

95.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.8 NOK 884

$36.34 MX$636

160.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 NOK 480

$40.05 MX$701

28.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,011

$79.9 MX$1,398

35.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,400

$88.9 MX$1,555

69.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 NOK 6,522

$963 MX$16.9K

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 NOK 8,174

$465 MX$8,133

88.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

12.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NOK 14.6K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

29.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,155 NOK 57.4K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

56.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,534 NOK 42.3K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-29.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,636 NOK 24.6K

$720 MX$12.6K

265.93%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $700 in Longyearbyen and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 266% 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 Longyearbyen vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $443 vs $251 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 266% 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: $700 in Longyearbyen versus $963 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 169% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $280 in Longyearbyen versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,219 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.