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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oslo is roughly 155% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oslo is 140% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$11.99 MX$209

111.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,164

$41.78 MX$728

188.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 145

$10.75 MX$187

39.16%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 49.07

$3.50 MX$60.9

45.14%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.66

$1.45 MX$25.22

182.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.85

$0.88 MX$15.41

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 120

$2.95 MX$51.3

319.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 107

$4.51 MX$78.6

144.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.24

$1.43 MX$24.94

67.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 39.00

$1.84 MX$31.99

119.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.50

$1.57 MX$27.31

133.76%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.82

$2.51 MX$43.74

97.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$8.28 MX$144

64.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 159

$8.43 MX$147

94.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$10.68 MX$186

193.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.85

$2.61 MX$45.43

37.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.44

$1.44 MX$25.04

82.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.39

$1.96 MX$34.16

76.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.98

$2.09 MX$36.47

142.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.22

$1.85 MX$32.24

35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.22

$2.17 MX$37.74

24.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.83

$1.03 MX$17.96

169.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.25

$1.07 MX$18.70

125.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 169

$4.10 MX$71.4

325.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$10.17 MX$177

83.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 33.00

$1.68 MX$29.17

102.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 42.06

$2.53 MX$43.98

71.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.44

$0.51 MX$8.87

719.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 769

$26.04 MX$453

205.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.6

$3.23 MX$56.3

215.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.60

$2.41 MX$41.88

-41.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 404

$3.23 MX$56.2

1192.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.96

$1.32 MX$23.00

71.97%

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

$36.7K NOK 354.3K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

23.42%

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

$42.3K NOK 409.3K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

78.93%

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

$296 NOK 2,863

$82.0 MX$1,428

261.07%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$22.95 MX$400

36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 536

$30.11 MX$524

84.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 554

$52.0 MX$905

10.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 275

$18.53 MX$323

53.26%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$4.98 MX$86.6

261.65%

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

$274 NOK 2,653

$197 MX$3,438

39.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.9K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

175.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 999

$35.60 MX$620

190.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 623

$40.33 MX$702

59.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,169

$78.8 MX$1,371

53.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,620

$88.9 MX$1,549

88.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$947 MX$16.5K

79.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$474 MX$8,254

204.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.9K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

62.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.1K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

80.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.3K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

183.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.3K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

7.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.1K

$654 MX$11.4K

550.85%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 551% 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: $120 in Oslo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 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 155% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 551% higher in Oslo, 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: $1,700 in Oslo versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,203 per month in Oslo versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 155% 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 206% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,203 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 155% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.