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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,141 in Oslo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oslo is roughly 142% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oslo is 134% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 238

$11.73 MX$203

117.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,144

$41.62 MX$719

194.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$10.64 MX$184

42.39%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.41

$3.52 MX$60.8

38.07%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.14

$1.51 MX$26.09

170.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.79

$0.97 MX$16.82

228.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$2.95 MX$51.0

307.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 105

$4.45 MX$77.0

152.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.35

$1.38 MX$23.90

73.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.17

$1.89 MX$32.69

116.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.19

$1.64 MX$28.29

123.17%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.00

$2.51 MX$43.30

100.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$8.34 MX$144

61.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 150

$8.34 MX$144

92.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 287

$10.73 MX$185

186.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.63

$2.60 MX$45.00

34.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.53

$1.46 MX$25.18

80.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.32

$1.90 MX$32.84

76.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.20

$2.08 MX$35.88

148.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$1.78 MX$30.68

36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.33

$2.19 MX$37.76

23.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.61

$1.04 MX$17.97

174.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.84

$1.08 MX$18.60

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$4.08 MX$70.5

321.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 177

$10.32 MX$178

83.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.28

$1.71 MX$29.59

95.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.87

$2.58 MX$44.50

69.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.20

$0.51 MX$8.81

745.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 727

$26.46 MX$457

194.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.8

$3.26 MX$56.4

207.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.93

$2.49 MX$43.05

-44.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 394

$3.25 MX$56.1

1199.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.34

$1.31 MX$22.59

66.41%

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

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

20.45%

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

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

82.16%

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

$304 NOK 2,834

$82.9 MX$1,432

266.37%

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

$31.63 NOK 295

$22.22 MX$384

42.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 532

$29.34 MX$507

94.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 539

$51.6 MX$892

11.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 267

$18.32 MX$317

56.33%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 168

$5.07 MX$87.5

255.23%

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

$274 NOK 2,556

$201 MX$3,470

36.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

179.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 987

$36.92 MX$638

186.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 611

$39.79 MX$688

64.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,158

$78.5 MX$1,356

58.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,572

$87.1 MX$1,505

93.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

$973 MX$16.8K

71.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

$468 MX$8,082

209.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

67.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

77.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

$3,946 MX$68.2K

204.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

$6,498 MX$112.3K

12.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

$664 MX$11.5K

564.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

11.42

-55.52%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 564% 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: $122 in Oslo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $249 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

Oslo 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Oslo pays 564% more on average, 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,141 per month in Oslo versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 142% 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 194% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,141 in Oslo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oslo. 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 Oslo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Oslo 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 142% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.