Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moss and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,476 in Moss, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moss
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,476
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Moss 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 Moss and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,476 per month in Moss vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Moss $2,476
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,721 per month in Moss vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Moss $3,721
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,966 per month in Moss vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Moss $4,966
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Moss costs about 105% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Moss sits 83% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.02 NOK 198
$10.76 MX$199
95.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.2 NOK 736
$43.03 MX$795
81.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.46 NOK 127
$11.79 MX$218
14.16%
Cappuccino
$5.11 NOK 48.08
$3.87 MX$71.4
32.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 NOK 29.45
$1.37 MX$25.29
128.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 NOK 24.74
$0.84 MX$15.44
213.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.67 NOK 62.8
$3.10 MX$57.3
115.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.29 NOK 78.1
$5.07 MX$93.6
63.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.40 NOK 22.58
$1.44 MX$26.55
66.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.56 NOK 33.54
$2.23 MX$41.23
59.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.54 NOK 33.35
$1.47 MX$27.17
140.82%
Eggs
$3.42 NOK 32.23
$2.53 MX$46.71
35.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.38 NOK 126
$7.30 MX$135
83.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.92 NOK 122
$7.86 MX$145
64.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.90 NOK 263
$12.79 MX$236
118.14%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 NOK 31.79
$2.90 MX$53.6
16.55%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 NOK 24.21
$1.44 MX$26.53
78.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 NOK 27.81
$2.55 MX$47.07
15.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.83 NOK 54.9
$2.06 MX$38.03
183.01%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 NOK 21.69
$2.00 MX$36.97
15.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 NOK 23.47
$2.01 MX$37.07
23.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 NOK 23.77
$1.19 MX$22.02
112.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 NOK 22.10
$1.26 MX$23.23
86.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.35 NOK 144
$4.40 MX$81.4
248.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.77 NOK 148
$9.59 MX$177
64.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.64 NOK 24.83
$1.59 MX$29.41
66.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.85 NOK 36.27
$2.81 MX$51.9
37.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.76 NOK 44.85
$0.57 MX$10.47
735.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$86.5 NOK 814
$27.82 MX$514
211.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.43 NOK 98.2
$4.98 MX$92.1
109.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 NOK 17.66
$3.50 MX$64.6
-46.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.81 NOK 431
$5.40 MX$99.8
748.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.30 NOK 21.66
$1.47 MX$27.08
56.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.6K NOK 401.0K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
102.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.2K NOK 387.7K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
72.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$299 NOK 2,816
$84.2 MX$1,556
255.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.40 NOK 314
$23.99 MX$443
39.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.0 NOK 508
$29.02 MX$536
86.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.52 NOK 372
$63.0 MX$1,164
-37.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.32 NOK 314
$29.14 MX$539
14.34%
Cinema Ticket
$18.14 NOK 171
$4.94 MX$91.3
267.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$235 NOK 2,217
$204 MX$3,763
15.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,756 NOK 35.4K
$3,941 MX$72.8K
-4.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$97.8 NOK 920
$43.60 MX$806
124.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.0 NOK 565
$43.12 MX$797
39.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 NOK 979
$75.8 MX$1,400
37.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$142 NOK 1,332
$88.6 MX$1,637
59.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,218 NOK 11.5K
$1,008 MX$18.6K
20.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$912 NOK 8,586
$374 MX$6,911
143.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,091 NOK 19.7K
$1,708 MX$31.6K
22.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 NOK 14.8K
$1,106 MX$20.4K
42.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,125 NOK 48.2K
$3,944 MX$72.9K
29.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,121 NOK 38.8K
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-33.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moss
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,341 NOK 40.9K
$754 MX$13.9K
475.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.94
11.45
-56.86%

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

Last update for Moss: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Moss
$912
Playa del Carmen
$374 59% $538
Groceries & Markets
Moss
$452
Playa del Carmen
$258 42.8% $193
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moss
$387
Playa del Carmen
$137 64.5% $249
Eating Out
Moss
$343
Playa del Carmen
$202 41% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Moss
$181
Playa del Carmen
$113 37.7% $68
Getting Around
Moss
$125
Playa del Carmen
$53 58.1% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Moss
$76
Playa del Carmen
$73 3.9% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,218 in Moss versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 476% higher in Moss, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Moss versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $452 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Moss
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
10:42 10:42 AM
03:42 3:42 AM
7 h behind Moss
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
52,213
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moss Playa del Carmen 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Moss
  • 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
Moss vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Moss or Playa del Carmen?
Moss costs about 105% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Moss and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,714 per month in Moss and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Moss or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Moss compared to Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,476 in Moss and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 105%.
How expensive is transport in Moss compared to Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 211% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Moss or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Moss at $2,476. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moss it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Moss or Playa del Carmen?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,210 versus $2,476 in Moss. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Moss compared to Playa del Carmen?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Moss or to Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Moss makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Moss vs other spots: cost of living compared

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