Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norsup and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,399 in Norsup, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Norsup outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Norsup

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,399

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,399 in Norsup versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Norsup $3,399
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,246 in Norsup versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Norsup $2,246
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,093 in Norsup versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Norsup $1,093
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Norsup is roughly 182% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Norsup is 150% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

Milk (1 liter)

$4.28 VUV 499

$1.41 MX$26.35

203.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 VUV 488

$2.22 MX$41.54

88.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 VUV 484

$1.42 MX$26.56

192.25%

Eggs

$5.13 VUV 598

$2.52 MX$47.27

103.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.54 VUV 1,462

$7.26 MX$136

72.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 VUV 1,009

$7.70 MX$144

12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.04 VUV 1,753

$12.69 MX$238

18.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 VUV 505

$2.78 MX$52.2

55.76%

Banana (1kg)

$4.20 VUV 490

$1.37 MX$25.64

206.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 VUV 490

$2.55 MX$47.80

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 VUV 498

$2.12 MX$39.78

101.42%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 VUV 505

$1.94 MX$36.32

123.20%

Onion (1kg)

$4.29 VUV 500

$1.89 MX$35.34

126.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.14 VUV 482

$1.15 MX$21.49

260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$4.26 VUV 496

$1.18 MX$22.09

261.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.76 VUV 1,953

$4.30 MX$80.5

289.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.84 VUV 1,962

$9.95 MX$186

69.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.12 VUV 480

$1.58 MX$29.67

160.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 VUV 482

$2.67 MX$50.1

54.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,914 VUV 339.7K

$381 MX$7,136

665.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 VUV 34.8K

$735 MX$13.8K

-59.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Norsup: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Norsup

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇻🇺 Norsup

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:53 8:53 AM

16:53 4:53 PM

16 h behind Norsup

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200

149,923

💱 Currency

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VUV = 8.58 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to VUV – Vanuatu Vatu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇺 Vanuatu Vatu (Vt)

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.58 USD). 1 EUR = 131 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to VUV in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Norsup Playa del Carmen 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Norsup
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

Norsup vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Norsup. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Norsup. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Norsup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,399 per month in Norsup versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,399 in Norsup, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Norsup. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.