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: $2,254 in Longyearbyen versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,569 in Longyearbyen versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,883 in Longyearbyen versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Longyearbyen is roughly 79% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Longyearbyen is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.49 NOK 194

$11.72 MX$203

74.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 NOK 945

$41.89 MX$725

137.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 NOK 131

$10.51 MX$182

31.02%

Cappuccino

$6.37 NOK 60.4

$3.59 MX$62.0

77.44%

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

$3.64 NOK 34.50

$1.51 MX$26.10

141.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 NOK 35.62

$0.92 MX$15.83

308.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.18 NOK 68.0

$2.96 MX$51.2

142.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 NOK 89.4

$4.41 MX$76.3

113.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.99 NOK 28.39

$1.40 MX$24.16

113.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 NOK 31.17

$1.88 MX$32.60

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.56

$1.56 MX$26.97

106.41%

Eggs

$4.90 NOK 46.45

$2.61 MX$45.14

87.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 NOK 99.2

$8.32 MX$144

25.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.83 NOK 141

$8.35 MX$145

77.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.01 NOK 266

$10.86 MX$188

157.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 30.36

$2.71 MX$46.93

18.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 NOK 28.86

$1.51 MX$26.04

101.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.21

$1.87 MX$32.41

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 NOK 43.88

$2.19 MX$37.89

111.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 30.38

$1.86 MX$32.14

72.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.13

$2.23 MX$38.59

52.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 NOK 17.76

$1.07 MX$18.48

74.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 NOK 5.90

$1.09 MX$18.79

-43.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.39 NOK 146

$4.19 MX$72.4

267.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.57 NOK 138

$10.43 MX$180

39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 NOK 32.07

$1.66 MX$28.68

103.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 NOK 38.21

$2.61 MX$45.19

54.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 40.58

$0.54 MX$9.37

692.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 NOK 692

$26.16 MX$453

178.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 NOK 96.1

$3.08 MX$53.3

228.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 NOK 9.95

$2.40 MX$41.61

-56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.72 NOK 443

$3.13 MX$54.1

1392.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 19.27

$1.31 MX$22.69

54.96%

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

$35.7K NOK 338.8K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

19.87%

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

$38.4K NOK 363.7K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

64.47%

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

$73.1 NOK 693

$81.3 MX$1,406

-10.13%

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

$38.01 NOK 360

$22.56 MX$390

68.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.31 NOK 458

$30.05 MX$520

60.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.32 NOK 468

$52.9 MX$915

-6.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.12 NOK 342

$18.39 MX$318

96.41%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 NOK 114

$4.92 MX$85.1

144.92%

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

$284 NOK 2,693

$201 MX$3,474

41.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

98.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 NOK 909

$35.92 MX$622

166.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NOK 495

$40.13 MX$694

30.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,033

$79.7 MX$1,379

36.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,456

$86.5 MX$1,496

77.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 NOK 6,755

$978 MX$16.9K

-27.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$898 NOK 8,520

$470 MX$8,140

90.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,790 NOK 17.0K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

8.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 NOK 14.6K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,793 NOK 54.9K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

46.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,953 NOK 37.5K

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-40.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,882 NOK 27.3K

$677 MX$11.7K

326.00%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $712 in Longyearbyen and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 326% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $440 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

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 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 326% 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: $712 in Longyearbyen versus $978 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 179% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $284 in Longyearbyen versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 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 79% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.