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: $2,463 in Molde versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Molde versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,808 in Molde versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Molde is 84% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.70 NOK 239

$11.94 MX$209

115.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 NOK 742

$42.75 MX$748

86.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.48 NOK 126

$10.59 MX$185

27.29%

Cappuccino

$5.16 NOK 48.10

$3.62 MX$63.4

42.54%

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

$2.77 NOK 25.80

$1.47 MX$25.69

88.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NOK 24.43

$0.94 MX$16.51

178.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.27 NOK 86.4

$3.09 MX$54.1

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.93 NOK 92.5

$4.46 MX$78.0

122.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.47

$1.43 MX$24.94

53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 NOK 28.69

$1.88 MX$32.97

63.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 NOK 35.13

$1.63 MX$28.50

131.29%

Eggs

$3.08 NOK 28.68

$2.64 MX$46.26

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 NOK 86.5

$8.21 MX$144

13.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 NOK 162

$8.29 MX$145

109.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.43 NOK 256

$11.10 MX$194

147.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.16

$2.65 MX$46.40

-6.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 NOK 29.16

$1.50 MX$26.26

108.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 31.61

$1.99 MX$34.79

70.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 NOK 53.1

$2.08 MX$36.33

174.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 NOK 14.55

$1.79 MX$31.29

-12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NOK 21.13

$2.18 MX$38.09

4.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NOK 24.09

$1.08 MX$18.84

138.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 17.02

$1.04 MX$18.15

75.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.19 NOK 169

$3.97 MX$69.5

358.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.75 NOK 156

$10.20 MX$179

64.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 NOK 26.57

$1.73 MX$30.22

64.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 38.04

$2.50 MX$43.71

63.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.20 NOK 39.13

$0.52 MX$9.07

707.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 NOK 753

$26.97 MX$472

199.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NOK 96.1

$3.14 MX$55.0

228.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.63

$2.40 MX$42.04

-39.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.39 NOK 442

$3.09 MX$54.0

1433.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 19.97

$1.27 MX$22.28

68.50%

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

$34.9K NOK 325.0K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

12.90%

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

$38.0K NOK 353.8K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

62.84%

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

$241 NOK 2,244

$82.0 MX$1,435

193.54%

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

$38.28 NOK 357

$22.45 MX$393

70.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 509

$29.66 MX$519

84.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.56 NOK 462

$51.9 MX$908

-4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 NOK 330

$18.67 MX$327

89.82%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 NOK 153

$4.97 MX$87.0

230.58%

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

$200 NOK 1,862

$198 MX$3,462

1.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.8K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

95.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.8 NOK 902

$36.34 MX$636

166.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 494

$40.05 MX$701

32.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NOK 937

$79.9 MX$1,398

25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,435

$88.9 MX$1,555

73.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 NOK 11.3K

$963 MX$16.9K

25.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 NOK 8,399

$465 MX$8,133

93.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 NOK 13.2K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-11.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 NOK 13.2K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

17.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 NOK 64.2K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

74.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,940 NOK 46.0K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-23.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,728 NOK 34.7K

$720 MX$12.6K

417.54%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Molde and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 418% 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: $80.0 in Molde vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $251 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.

Molde pays 418% 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: $1,211 in Molde versus $963 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 $198 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,463 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.