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: $2,410 in Molde versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,669 in Molde versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,929 in Molde versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Molde is roughly 90% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Molde is 79% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.59 NOK 243

$11.87 MX$204

115.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 NOK 754

$42.90 MX$736

85.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 NOK 129

$10.65 MX$183

27.14%

Cappuccino

$5.18 NOK 49.13

$3.45 MX$59.2

50.14%

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

$2.88 NOK 27.32

$1.50 MX$25.81

92.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NOK 25.26

$0.95 MX$16.28

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 NOK 86.0

$3.03 MX$51.9

199.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 NOK 94.6

$4.61 MX$79.1

116.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.87

$1.38 MX$23.61

59.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 NOK 28.58

$1.85 MX$31.70

62.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 NOK 36.76

$1.61 MX$27.65

140.37%

Eggs

$3.09 NOK 29.28

$2.59 MX$44.51

19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NOK 85.9

$8.26 MX$142

9.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 NOK 159

$8.37 MX$144

100.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 NOK 263

$10.66 MX$183

160.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 NOK 23.75

$2.63 MX$45.12

-4.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.03

$1.49 MX$25.53

105.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 NOK 32.13

$1.92 MX$32.94

76.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 NOK 52.6

$2.09 MX$35.81

165.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 NOK 14.56

$1.86 MX$31.88

-17.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.70

$2.26 MX$38.81

1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.46

$1.06 MX$18.23

143.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.51

$1.09 MX$18.67

68.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.27 NOK 173

$4.15 MX$71.2

340.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.17 NOK 173

$10.39 MX$178

74.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NOK 27.65

$1.72 MX$29.59

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 38.06

$2.61 MX$44.85

53.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.89

$0.54 MX$9.30

698.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 NOK 786

$26.94 MX$462

207.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NOK 96.6

$3.13 MX$53.7

225.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.10

$2.51 MX$43.09

-45.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.05 NOK 447

$3.15 MX$54.1

1393.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 NOK 21.31

$1.27 MX$21.88

76.38%

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

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.11%

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

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

65.65%

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

$241 NOK 2,291

$83.0 MX$1,425

190.84%

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

$37.92 NOK 360

$22.71 MX$390

66.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 518

$29.46 MX$506

85.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.0 NOK 475

$51.0 MX$875

-1.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.26 NOK 335

$18.33 MX$315

92.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 NOK 158

$4.93 MX$84.5

238.54%

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

$200 NOK 1,901

$197 MX$3,386

1.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

94.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 NOK 927

$36.90 MX$633

164.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 NOK 497

$39.89 MX$685

31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 NOK 964

$80.0 MX$1,373

26.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 NOK 1,434

$89.5 MX$1,536

68.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

$956 MX$16.4K

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 NOK 8,574

$477 MX$8,189

89.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-12.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

18.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

58.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-30.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

$667 MX$11.4K

443.33%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,174 in Molde and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 443% 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: $79.0 in Molde vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 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

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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Molde pays 443% 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: $1,174 in Molde versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $200 in Molde versus $197 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 79% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,410 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 90% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.