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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,404 in Molde versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,650 in Molde versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Molde versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Molde is roughly 91% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Molde is 81% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 NOK 237

$11.72 MX$203

113.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 NOK 776

$41.89 MX$725

95.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 NOK 128

$10.51 MX$182

28.16%

Cappuccino

$5.34 NOK 50.6

$3.59 MX$62.0

48.75%

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

$2.87 NOK 27.22

$1.51 MX$26.10

90.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NOK 25.04

$0.92 MX$15.83

186.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.99 NOK 85.3

$2.96 MX$51.2

203.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.19 NOK 96.6

$4.41 MX$76.3

131.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 NOK 20.54

$1.40 MX$24.16

55.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 NOK 29.11

$1.88 MX$32.60

63.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 NOK 37.04

$1.56 MX$26.97

150.64%

Eggs

$2.98 NOK 28.26

$2.61 MX$45.14

14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 NOK 85.0

$8.32 MX$144

7.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.07 NOK 162

$8.35 MX$145

104.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.04 NOK 266

$10.86 MX$188

158.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.63

$2.71 MX$46.93

-8.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.38

$1.51 MX$26.04

98.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NOK 32.43

$1.87 MX$32.41

82.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 NOK 52.5

$2.19 MX$37.89

152.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 NOK 14.64

$1.86 MX$32.14

-17.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NOK 21.65

$2.23 MX$38.59

2.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 NOK 25.66

$1.07 MX$18.48

153.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 18.24

$1.09 MX$18.79

76.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.08 NOK 171

$4.19 MX$72.4

331.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.96 NOK 218

$10.43 MX$180

120.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 NOK 27.21

$1.66 MX$28.68

72.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 NOK 37.35

$2.61 MX$45.19

50.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.28 NOK 40.61

$0.54 MX$9.37

692.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.5 NOK 772

$26.16 MX$453

211.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 96.7

$3.08 MX$53.3

231.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 NOK 13.23

$2.40 MX$41.61

-41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.41 NOK 440

$3.13 MX$54.1

1382.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.36

$1.31 MX$22.69

71.76%

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

$35.4K NOK 335.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

18.84%

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

$38.7K NOK 366.5K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

65.74%

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

$241 NOK 2,285

$81.3 MX$1,406

196.47%

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

$37.75 NOK 358

$22.56 MX$390

67.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 525

$30.05 MX$520

84.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 NOK 470

$52.9 MX$915

-6.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.75 NOK 339

$18.39 MX$318

94.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 NOK 159

$4.92 MX$85.1

240.04%

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

$202 NOK 1,918

$201 MX$3,474

0.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 95.7K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

95.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 NOK 917

$35.92 MX$622

169.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 NOK 497

$40.13 MX$694

30.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 953

$79.7 MX$1,379

26.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,437

$86.5 MX$1,496

75.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 NOK 11.3K

$978 MX$16.9K

22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,541

$470 MX$8,140

91.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 NOK 13.3K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-15.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,203 MX$20.8K

20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,189 NOK 39.7K

$677 MX$11.7K

519.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

11.42

-67.16%

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

Last update for Molde: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Molde and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 519% 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: $82.0 in Molde vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 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

Molde 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 519% higher in Molde, 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: $1,194 in Molde versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Molde versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,404 in Molde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Molde. 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 Molde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Molde 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 91% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.