Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Molde and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,288 in Molde, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Molde

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,288

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Molde and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Molde and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Molde versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Molde $2,288
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Molde versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Molde $3,546
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,803 in Molde versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Molde $4,803
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Molde is roughly 90% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Molde is 68% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 NOK 155

$10.92 MX$205

53.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 NOK 915

$43.37 MX$815

128.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.43 NOK 124

$11.78 MX$221

14.01%

Cappuccino

$4.01 NOK 36.98

$3.81 MX$71.6

5.25%

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

$2.96 NOK 27.26

$1.28 MX$24.10

131.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 NOK 32.03

$0.78 MX$14.71

346.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.98 NOK 120

$3.17 MX$59.5

309.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.03 NOK 111

$4.93 MX$92.7

144.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.00 NOK 27.62

$1.41 MX$26.43

112.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 NOK 40.63

$2.22 MX$41.66

98.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 NOK 36.94

$1.42 MX$26.64

182.39%

Eggs

$5.49 NOK 50.6

$2.52 MX$47.41

117.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.51 NOK 171

$7.26 MX$137

154.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.95 NOK 147

$7.70 MX$145

107.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 NOK 31.93

$2.78 MX$52.3

24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.12

$1.37 MX$25.71

130.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 28.20

$2.55 MX$47.94

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 45.65

$2.12 MX$39.90

133.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.17

$1.94 MX$36.43

35.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NOK 21.29

$1.89 MX$35.44

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.84 NOK 26.19

$1.15 MX$21.55

146.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.15 NOK 186

$4.30 MX$80.7

368.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.18 NOK 214

$9.95 MX$187

132.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.27 NOK 39.32

$1.58 MX$29.76

170.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 NOK 72.6

$2.67 MX$50.2

195.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.28 NOK 48.62

$0.55 MX$10.40

860.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 782

$26.62 MX$500

218.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.27 NOK 150

$4.97 MX$93.4

227.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.21

$1.44 MX$27.14

67.36%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$21.68 NOK 200

$23.41 MX$440

-7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 NOK 782

$28.66 MX$539

195.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.8 NOK 542

$57.1 MX$1,072

3.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$18.72 NOK 173

$5.14 MX$96.6

264.20%

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

$217 NOK 1,998

$207 MX$3,882

4.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,044

$43.35 MX$815

161.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,271

$74.2 MX$1,394

85.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 NOK 1,476

$89.3 MX$1,677

79.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 NOK 11.8K

$980 MX$18.4K

30.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NOK 9,335

$381 MX$7,157

165.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 NOK 17.8K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 NOK 15.8K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

59.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 NOK 40.3K

$735 MX$13.8K

495.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.45

-58.08%

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

Last update for Molde: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Molde

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,276 in Molde and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Molde vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $428 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Molde

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

20:43 8:43 PM

6 h behind Molde

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,920

149,923

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Molde Playa del Carmen 8,190 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Molde
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 47% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Molde is about 6 times higher, 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: $1,276 in Molde versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Molde versus $207 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 68% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,288 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.