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: $3,387 in Oslo versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,974 in Oslo versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,560 in Oslo versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oslo is roughly 160% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oslo is 146% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 NOK 197

$11.96 MX$203

77.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 NOK 1,185

$47.38 MX$804

169.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.44 NOK 153

$11.75 MX$199

39.91%

Cappuccino

$5.90 NOK 54.7

$4.12 MX$70.0

43.20%

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

$4.24 NOK 39.33

$1.40 MX$23.74

202.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 NOK 33.09

$0.91 MX$15.48

292.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.07 NOK 112

$3.21 MX$54.4

276.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.80 NOK 119

$7.07 MX$120

81.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.58 NOK 23.90

$1.68 MX$28.44

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 NOK 40.29

$2.15 MX$36.48

101.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.62 NOK 42.88

$1.77 MX$30.10

161.02%

Eggs

$6.15 NOK 57.1

$2.82 MX$47.76

118.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 NOK 137

$9.20 MX$156

60.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 NOK 144

$9.23 MX$157

68.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.93 NOK 287

$12.64 MX$214

144.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.04

$2.95 MX$50.1

13.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NOK 25.89

$1.58 MX$26.79

76.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 NOK 32.23

$2.22 MX$37.70

56.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.99 NOK 55.5

$2.36 MX$40.09

153.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 NOK 24.95

$1.99 MX$33.81

35.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 NOK 26.76

$1.98 MX$33.58

45.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.26 NOK 30.22

$1.24 MX$21.04

162.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.76

$1.21 MX$20.55

111.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 180

$4.60 MX$78.1

322.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 NOK 158

$10.52 MX$178

61.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 NOK 33.38

$1.69 MX$28.70

113.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.08

$2.77 MX$47.06

55.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 NOK 46.20

$0.60 MX$10.22

730.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 NOK 800

$29.70 MX$504

190.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.52 NOK 116

$5.24 MX$88.8

138.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.80

$3.65 MX$61.9

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.6 NOK 655

$5.78 MX$98.1

1121.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 20.96

$1.54 MX$26.09

46.75%

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

$48.7K NOK 451.7K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

113.56%

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

$45.3K NOK 420.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

75.46%

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

$424 NOK 3,932

$90.7 MX$1,538

367.49%

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

$32.72 NOK 304

$25.19 MX$427

29.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 NOK 530

$31.75 MX$539

79.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 NOK 559

$68.8 MX$1,167

-12.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 NOK 275

$29.37 MX$498

1.02%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 NOK 183

$4.86 MX$82.5

305.56%

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

$252 NOK 2,336

$226 MX$3,828

11.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NOK 150.6K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

287.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 NOK 963

$47.38 MX$804

118.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 NOK 582

$43.45 MX$737

44.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 NOK 1,247

$80.2 MX$1,361

67.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,502

$91.4 MX$1,550

77.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 NOK 19.0K

$1,086 MX$18.4K

88.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NOK 14.3K

$409 MX$6,933

277.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 NOK 28.1K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

53.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 NOK 21.4K

$1,281 MX$21.7K

79.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NOK 113.6K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

202.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,156 NOK 66.4K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

6.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,594 NOK 42.6K

$773 MX$13.1K

494.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

11.45

-56.68%

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

Last update for Oslo: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,043 in Oslo and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 494% 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: $128 in Oslo vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $278 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 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 494% 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: $2,043 in Oslo versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,387 per month in Oslo versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 160% 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 190% less than in Oslo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,387 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 160% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.