Cost of Living Comparison Between Mo i Rana and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mo i Rana and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,505 in Mo i Rana versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Mo i Rana versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,095 in Mo i Rana versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mo i Rana is roughly 97% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mo i Rana is 86% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.76 NOK 245

$11.87 MX$204

117.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 963

$42.90 MX$736

136.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.62 NOK 129

$10.65 MX$183

27.89%

Cappuccino

$4.81 NOK 45.65

$3.45 MX$59.2

39.42%

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

$3.14 NOK 29.84

$1.50 MX$25.81

109.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 NOK 26.90

$0.95 MX$16.28

197.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.26 NOK 97.4

$3.03 MX$51.9

238.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 NOK 90.6

$4.61 MX$79.1

106.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 NOK 18.76

$1.38 MX$23.61

43.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.30

$1.85 MX$31.70

78.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 NOK 30.31

$1.61 MX$27.65

98.14%

Eggs

$4.14 NOK 39.27

$2.59 MX$44.51

59.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 NOK 116

$8.26 MX$142

47.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 NOK 138

$8.37 MX$144

73.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.57 NOK 271

$10.66 MX$183

168.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.86

$2.63 MX$45.12

35.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.71

$1.49 MX$25.53

67.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.20

$1.92 MX$32.94

76.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 NOK 41.50

$2.09 MX$35.81

109.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 NOK 23.37

$1.86 MX$31.88

32.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 NOK 24.53

$2.26 MX$38.81

14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 26.13

$1.06 MX$18.23

159.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.48

$1.09 MX$18.67

68.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.03 NOK 143

$4.15 MX$71.2

262.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.87 NOK 236

$10.39 MX$178

139.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 NOK 30.98

$1.72 MX$29.59

89.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 NOK 38.87

$2.61 MX$44.85

57.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 NOK 41.48

$0.54 MX$9.30

709.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 NOK 689

$26.94 MX$462

169.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 NOK 96.2

$3.13 MX$53.7

223.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.30

$2.51 MX$43.09

-44.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.92 NOK 436

$3.15 MX$54.1

1357.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.72 NOK 25.81

$1.27 MX$21.88

114.17%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.23%

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

$37.7K NOK 358.2K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

60.15%

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

$243 NOK 2,309

$83.0 MX$1,425

193.05%

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

$37.85 NOK 359

$22.71 MX$390

66.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 NOK 525

$29.46 MX$506

87.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.56 NOK 461

$51.0 MX$875

-4.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.11 NOK 343

$18.33 MX$315

97.00%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 NOK 156

$4.93 MX$84.5

232.66%

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

$283 NOK 2,682

$197 MX$3,386

43.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

94.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NOK 924

$36.90 MX$633

163.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 NOK 488

$39.89 MX$685

28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 NOK 1,033

$80.0 MX$1,373

36.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,451

$89.5 MX$1,536

70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 NOK 11.6K

$956 MX$16.4K

28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 NOK 8,420

$477 MX$8,189

85.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 NOK 17.4K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 NOK 14.5K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

24.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,624 NOK 62.9K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

69.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,620 NOK 43.9K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-28.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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 Mo i Rana: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,226 in Mo i Rana and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Mo i Rana vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $465 vs $250 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

Mo i Rana 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 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,758 in Mo i Rana and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,226 in Mo i Rana versus $956 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 Mo i Rana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $283 in Mo i Rana versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,505 in Mo i Rana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mo i Rana. 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 Mo i Rana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mo i Rana 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 97% less than in Mo i Rana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.