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: $2,304 in Narvik versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,451 in Narvik versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,597 in Narvik versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Narvik is roughly 83% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Narvik is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 NOK 191

$11.72 MX$203

72.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 NOK 867

$41.89 MX$726

118.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.00 NOK 142

$10.51 MX$182

42.72%

Cappuccino

$5.58 NOK 52.8

$3.59 MX$62.1

55.43%

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

$2.50 NOK 23.68

$1.51 MX$26.14

65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NOK 23.21

$0.92 MX$15.86

166.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.03 NOK 104

$2.96 MX$51.2

272.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.91 NOK 103

$4.41 MX$76.4

147.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 NOK 22.79

$1.40 MX$24.19

72.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 NOK 30.43

$1.88 MX$32.65

71.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 24.05

$1.56 MX$27.01

62.82%

Eggs

$4.93 NOK 46.61

$2.61 MX$45.21

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 NOK 107

$8.32 MX$144

35.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.14 NOK 143

$8.35 MX$145

81.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.66 NOK 205

$10.86 MX$188

99.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 NOK 32.46

$2.71 MX$47.00

26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 NOK 19.24

$1.51 MX$26.08

34.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 NOK 34.99

$1.87 MX$32.46

97.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 NOK 40.26

$2.19 MX$37.95

94.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 NOK 22.88

$1.86 MX$32.19

30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.51 NOK 33.25

$2.23 MX$38.65

57.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 NOK 25.10

$1.07 MX$18.51

147.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.69

$1.09 MX$18.82

61.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.75 NOK 140

$4.19 MX$72.6

252.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.61 NOK 176

$10.43 MX$181

78.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.73

$1.66 MX$28.72

108.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.62

$2.61 MX$45.26

36.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.04 NOK 47.66

$0.54 MX$9.39

833.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.9 NOK 813

$26.16 MX$453

228.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.74 NOK 121

$3.08 MX$53.3

313.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 13.05

$2.40 MX$41.67

-42.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.7 NOK 479

$3.13 MX$54.2

1518.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 NOK 19.66

$1.31 MX$22.72

58.78%

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

$30.3K NOK 286.9K

$29.8K MX$516.5K

1.73%

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

$30.1K NOK 284.8K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

29.07%

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

$249 NOK 2,353

$81.3 MX$1,408

205.95%

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

$47.54 NOK 450

$22.56 MX$391

110.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 NOK 716

$30.05 MX$521

151.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 NOK 504

$52.9 MX$917

0.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.78 NOK 244

$18.39 MX$319

40.18%

Cinema Ticket

$16.77 NOK 159

$4.92 MX$85.3

240.85%

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

$336 NOK 3,180

$201 MX$3,480

67.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,144 NOK 67.6K

$5,175 MX$89.7K

38.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 NOK 850

$35.92 MX$622

150.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.25 NOK 305

$40.13 MX$695

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 NOK 1,257

$79.7 MX$1,381

66.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 NOK 1,279

$86.5 MX$1,498

56.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$926 NOK 8,763

$978 MX$16.9K

-5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 NOK 6,667

$470 MX$8,153

49.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 NOK 14.9K

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 NOK 11.3K

$1,203 MX$20.9K

-0.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,190 NOK 49.1K

$3,953 MX$68.5K

31.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,714 NOK 44.6K

$6,607 MX$114.5K

-28.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,525 NOK 33.4K

$677 MX$11.7K

420.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

11.42

-62.61%

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

Last update for Narvik: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $926 in Narvik and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narvik pays 421% 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: $92.0 in Narvik vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $434 vs $252 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 421% 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: $926 in Narvik versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,304 per month in Narvik versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 83% 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 228% less than in Narvik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,304 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 83% less than in Narvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.