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: $2,442 in Molde versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Molde versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,952 in Molde versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Molde is roughly 93% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Molde is 79% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 NOK 288

$11.60 MX$199

163.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 NOK 808

$47.11 MX$809

82.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.94 NOK 150

$11.88 MX$204

34.18%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.70

$3.98 MX$68.2

29.90%

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

$3.29 NOK 31.01

$1.43 MX$24.49

130.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 NOK 33.70

$0.82 MX$14.16

336.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.67 NOK 110

$3.19 MX$54.7

265.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.52 NOK 99.2

$6.79 MX$117

54.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NOK 29.46

$1.68 MX$28.76

86.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 NOK 39.85

$2.20 MX$37.71

92.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 NOK 38.69

$1.71 MX$29.32

140.35%

Eggs

$5.24 NOK 49.35

$2.74 MX$47.05

91.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.57 NOK 175

$9.58 MX$164

93.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 151

$9.01 MX$155

78.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.76

$2.89 MX$49.58

20.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 30.89

$1.50 MX$25.70

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 28.97

$2.15 MX$36.87

43.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 NOK 46.41

$2.26 MX$38.79

118.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.80

$1.98 MX$34.00

32.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.88

$1.99 MX$34.15

22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 NOK 26.05

$1.23 MX$21.18

125.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.59 NOK 194

$4.55 MX$78.1

352.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.72 NOK 223

$10.37 MX$178

128.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 NOK 39.25

$1.62 MX$27.79

157.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 NOK 77.1

$2.88 MX$49.44

184.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.20 NOK 48.98

$0.60 MX$10.30

766.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 NOK 798

$28.80 MX$494

194.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 NOK 154

$5.39 MX$92.5

203.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 NOK 21.75

$1.54 MX$26.37

50.00%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

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

$21.65 NOK 204

$25.20 MX$433

-14.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 NOK 795

$31.24 MX$536

170.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 NOK 563

$67.2 MX$1,154

-11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$18.95 NOK 178

$4.86 MX$83.5

289.92%

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

$214 NOK 2,013

$224 MX$3,839

-4.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 NOK 1,060

$47.10 MX$808

138.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 NOK 1,305

$80.1 MX$1,375

72.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,529

$92.7 MX$1,591

75.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 NOK 12.1K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$981 NOK 9,241

$390 MX$6,698

151.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,899 NOK 17.9K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NOK 15.8K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

31.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,356 NOK 41.0K

$758 MX$13.0K

474.47%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Molde and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 474% 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: $86.0 in Molde vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $276 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 Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 474% 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: $1,288 in Molde versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $214 in Molde versus $224 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 56% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,442 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 93% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.