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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,252 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,400 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,548 in Arendal.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Arendal is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$18.27 NOK 173

-35.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$75.5 NOK 716

-43.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$15.44 NOK 147

-31.02%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$5.21 NOK 49.49

-33.78%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.21 NOK 30.46

-53.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$3.05 NOK 28.99

-68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$10.98 NOK 104

-72.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$10.23 NOK 97.1

-54.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.31 NOK 21.94

-40.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.00 NOK 28.52

-38.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$3.60 NOK 34.13

-55.28%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.36 NOK 41.38

-40.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.99 NOK 123

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$15.36 NOK 146

-45.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$27.96 NOK 265

-61.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.40 NOK 32.30

-22.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.54 NOK 24.08

-41.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.10 NOK 29.41

-38.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.55 NOK 43.20

-54.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.07 NOK 19.60

-10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.98 NOK 28.27

-24.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.61 NOK 24.75

-59.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.75 NOK 16.65

-37.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$15.43 NOK 146

-73.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.24 NOK 173

-43.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$3.35 NOK 31.83

-48.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$4.00 NOK 38.01

-34.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$3.89 NOK 36.88

-86.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$106 NOK 1,009

-74.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$7.93 NOK 75.3

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.08 NOK 19.74

20.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$30.96 NOK 294

-89.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.08 NOK 19.71

-38.94%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.9K NOK 321.7K

-10.38%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$32.9K NOK 312.7K

-28.47%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$189 NOK 1,793

-56.06%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$35.99 NOK 342

-36.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$74.0 NOK 703

-60.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$44.53 NOK 423

14.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$54.0 NOK 513

-66.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$11.93 NOK 113

-58.68%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$306 NOK 2,903

-35.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$10.2K NOK 96.8K

-48.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$96.8 NOK 919

-61.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$57.9 NOK 550

-31.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$106 NOK 1,003

-24.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$159 NOK 1,512

-43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,099 NOK 10.4K

-12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$708 NOK 6,722

-32.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,333 NOK 12.7K

23.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,162 NOK 11.0K

5.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$3,229 NOK 30.7K

21.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,099 NOK 19.9K

207.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$4,080 NOK 38.7K

-83.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.6

217.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,099 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 512% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $457 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Arendal differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $2,252 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arendal earns 512% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,099 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $306 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,252 in Arendal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Arendal. 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Arendal 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 77% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.