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: $2,767 in Longyearbyen versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,259 in Longyearbyen versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,750 in Longyearbyen versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 119% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Longyearbyen is 102% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.43 NOK 192

$11.60 MX$199

76.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 NOK 1,028

$47.11 MX$809

131.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.13 NOK 171

$11.88 MX$204

52.61%

Cappuccino

$7.09 NOK 66.8

$3.98 MX$68.2

78.14%

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

$6.01 NOK 56.7

$1.43 MX$24.49

320.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 NOK 56.2

$0.82 MX$14.16

628.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 NOK 74.3

$3.19 MX$54.7

147.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.34 NOK 88.0

$6.79 MX$117

37.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 24.27

$1.68 MX$28.76

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 NOK 35.66

$2.20 MX$37.71

72.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 NOK 42.14

$1.71 MX$29.32

161.40%

Eggs

$4.97 NOK 46.81

$2.74 MX$47.05

81.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 NOK 140

$9.58 MX$164

55.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.59 NOK 194

$9.01 MX$155

128.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.05 NOK 283

$12.81 MX$220

134.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.89 NOK 64.9

$2.89 MX$49.58

138.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.79

$1.50 MX$25.70

75.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 NOK 69.5

$2.15 MX$36.87

243.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.86 NOK 64.7

$2.26 MX$38.79

203.54%

Potato (1kg)

$5.48 NOK 51.6

$1.98 MX$34.00

176.77%

Onion (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 43.54

$1.99 MX$34.15

132.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.53 NOK 42.64

$1.23 MX$21.18

268.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 33.99

$1.20 MX$20.54

200.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 NOK 167

$4.55 MX$78.1

290.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 NOK 143

$10.37 MX$178

46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.94

$1.62 MX$27.79

122.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 NOK 41.54

$2.88 MX$49.44

53.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 NOK 43.09

$0.60 MX$10.30

661.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.5 NOK 777

$28.80 MX$494

186.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.48 NOK 89.3

$5.39 MX$92.5

75.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 NOK 18.00

$3.73 MX$64.0

-48.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.4 NOK 739

$5.77 MX$99.0

1259.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 NOK 21.70

$1.54 MX$26.37

49.35%

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

$47.6K NOK 448.7K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

111.24%

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

$38.1K NOK 359.2K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

46.35%

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

$270 NOK 2,543

$91.4 MX$1,569

195.36%

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

$32.58 NOK 307

$25.20 MX$433

29.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 NOK 533

$31.24 MX$536

80.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 NOK 483

$67.2 MX$1,154

-23.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.26 NOK 360

$29.11 MX$500

31.43%

Cinema Ticket

$19.76 NOK 186

$4.86 MX$83.5

306.58%

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

$216 NOK 2,031

$224 MX$3,839

-3.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NOK 121.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

205.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 NOK 1,010

$47.10 MX$808

127.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.7 NOK 543

$44.29 MX$760

30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 NOK 1,192

$80.1 MX$1,375

57.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,529

$92.7 MX$1,591

75.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 NOK 10.7K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 NOK 9,559

$390 MX$6,698

160.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 NOK 18.9K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-6.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 NOK 16.4K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,267 NOK 59.0K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

56.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,170 NOK 39.3K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-35.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,990 NOK 28.2K

$758 MX$13.0K

294.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.98

11.45

-56.51%

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

Last update for Longyearbyen: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,134 in Longyearbyen and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 294% 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: $109 in Longyearbyen vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $598 vs $276 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 294% higher in Longyearbyen, 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: $1,134 in Longyearbyen versus $1,063 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 186% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $216 in Longyearbyen versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,767 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 119% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.