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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,215 in Alesund, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,317 in Alesund, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,418 in Alesund, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 43% cheaper than Alesund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Alesund is 66% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$20.27 NOK 195

-40.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$87.7 NOK 845

-52.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$12.72 NOK 122

-15.49%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$3.94 NOK 37.90

-11.17%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$2.00 NOK 19.28

-27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$2.27 NOK 21.82

-61.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$11.20 NOK 108

-73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$8.93 NOK 86.0

-49.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$2.43 NOK 23.40

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$2.91 NOK 28.07

-36.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$2.82 NOK 27.12

-44.33%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$3.94 NOK 37.98

-36.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$14.23 NOK 137

-41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$13.33 NOK 128

-36.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$22.52 NOK 217

-52.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.86 NOK 27.57

-8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$2.40 NOK 23.08

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$2.23 NOK 21.45

-12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$3.48 NOK 33.56

-39.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$2.71 NOK 26.13

-31.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$1.79 NOK 17.24

21.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$2.87 NOK 27.60

-64.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$2.04 NOK 19.67

-47.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$14.04 NOK 135

-70.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$17.23 NOK 166

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$3.30 NOK 31.74

-49.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$4.03 NOK 38.86

-37.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$4.49 NOK 43.20

-88.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$65.9 NOK 635

-60.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$12.11 NOK 117

-73.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$2.18 NOK 21.01

10.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$73.7 NOK 710

-95.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$2.17 NOK 20.93

-39.17%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$35.9K NOK 345.8K

-17.28%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$43.8K NOK 421.4K

-45.92%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$240 NOK 2,312

-65.84%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$39.04 NOK 376

-41.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$39.85 NOK 384

-24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$57.3 NOK 552

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$30.76 NOK 296

-39.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$17.47 NOK 168

-71.49%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$268 NOK 2,577

-26.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$2,464 NOK 23.7K

116.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$85.4 NOK 822

-58.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$44.17 NOK 425

-8.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$110 NOK 1,060

-28.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$135 NOK 1,298

-34.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$944 NOK 9,093

0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$794 NOK 7,645

-40.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$1,396 NOK 13.4K

17.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,144 NOK 11.0K

5.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$4,409 NOK 42.5K

-8.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$2,429 NOK 23.4K

166.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$4,120 NOK 39.7K

-84.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.03

183.37%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Alesund: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $944 in Alesund. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 530% higher in Alesund, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $88.0 in Alesund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $419 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $2,215 in Alesund – roughly 76% apart. Alesund costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,323 in Alesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $88.0 in Alesund. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $2,215 in Alesund. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Alesund at $2,215. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alesund it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $2,215 in Alesund. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alesund makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.