Cost of Living Comparison Between Narvik and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Narvik and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,529 in Narvik versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,902 in Narvik versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,276 in Narvik versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Narvik is roughly 100% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Narvik is 85% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.77 NOK 309

$11.60 MX$200

182.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 NOK 893

$47.11 MX$812

101.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.78 NOK 149

$11.88 MX$205

32.83%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.15

$3.98 MX$68.6

28.39%

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

$3.00 NOK 28.25

$1.43 MX$24.60

109.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NOK 27.21

$0.82 MX$14.22

252.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.84 NOK 112

$3.19 MX$55.0

271.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.26 NOK 116

$6.79 MX$117

80.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 NOK 23.75

$1.68 MX$28.89

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 NOK 31.79

$2.20 MX$37.88

53.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 NOK 25.63

$1.71 MX$29.45

59.06%

Eggs

$5.38 NOK 50.7

$2.74 MX$47.26

96.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.98 NOK 113

$9.58 MX$165

25.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 NOK 144

$9.01 MX$155

69.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 NOK 221

$12.81 MX$221

83.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 NOK 36.00

$2.89 MX$49.81

32.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 NOK 19.68

$1.50 MX$25.81

39.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.87 NOK 45.85

$2.15 MX$37.03

126.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 NOK 42.08

$2.26 MX$38.96

97.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NOK 25.05

$1.98 MX$34.15

34.34%

Onion (1kg)

$4.84 NOK 45.60

$1.99 MX$34.30

143.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 NOK 27.95

$1.23 MX$21.28

141.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 NOK 21.15

$1.20 MX$20.63

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.43 NOK 155

$4.55 MX$78.5

261.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 NOK 152

$10.37 MX$179

55.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.47 NOK 32.71

$1.62 MX$27.91

114.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 NOK 36.13

$2.88 MX$49.67

32.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 NOK 43.57

$0.60 MX$10.35

670.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.7 NOK 873

$28.80 MX$497

221.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.91 NOK 150

$5.39 MX$92.9

195.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.59

$3.73 MX$64.3

-44.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.6 NOK 514

$5.77 MX$99.5

845.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.89

$1.54 MX$26.48

44.16%

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

$40.5K NOK 381.4K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

79.49%

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

$38.7K NOK 364.9K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

48.63%

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

$260 NOK 2,454

$91.4 MX$1,576

184.95%

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

$51.4 NOK 484

$25.20 MX$435

103.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.2 NOK 803

$31.24 MX$539

172.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 NOK 534

$67.2 MX$1,159

-15.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.16 NOK 256

$29.11 MX$502

-6.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.37 NOK 164

$4.86 MX$83.8

257.41%

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

$320 NOK 3,017

$224 MX$3,856

43.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,707 NOK 72.6K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

82.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$126 NOK 1,190

$47.10 MX$812

168.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.09 NOK 331

$44.29 MX$764

-20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 NOK 1,352

$80.1 MX$1,381

79.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,584

$92.7 MX$1,598

81.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NOK 8,766

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-12.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 NOK 7,019

$390 MX$6,728

90.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NOK 15.7K

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 NOK 11.6K

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-3.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,415 NOK 51.0K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

35.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,789 NOK 45.1K

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,580 NOK 33.7K

$758 MX$13.1K

372.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.45

-56.24%

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

Last update for Narvik: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Narvik and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narvik pays 372% 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: $95.0 in Narvik vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 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

Narvik 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 372% higher in Narvik, 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: $930 in Narvik versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,529 per month in Narvik versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 222% less than in Narvik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,529 in Narvik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Narvik. 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 Narvik, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Narvik 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 100% less than in Narvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.