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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,203 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,348 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,494 in Arendal.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 43% less than in Arendal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Arendal is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$17.89 NOK 170

-34.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$74.8 NOK 709

-43.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$15.38 NOK 146

-31.66%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$5.16 NOK 48.92

-30.43%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$3.29 NOK 31.20

-54.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$3.08 NOK 29.18

-70.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$11.02 NOK 105

-73.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$9.95 NOK 94.4

-55.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.41 NOK 22.82

-41.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$3.17 NOK 30.06

-40.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$3.68 NOK 34.90

-57.61%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$4.33 NOK 41.08

-39.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$13.30 NOK 126

-37.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$15.42 NOK 146

-45.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$27.89 NOK 264

-61.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.47 NOK 32.88

-21.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.54 NOK 24.09

-40.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.12 NOK 29.55

-40.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.83 NOK 45.78

-54.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.08 NOK 19.68

-10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.95 NOK 28.00

-24.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$2.61 NOK 24.73

-59.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.80 NOK 17.08

-39.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$15.08 NOK 143

-72.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$17.78 NOK 169

-41.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.36 NOK 31.87

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$4.02 NOK 38.08

-35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$3.81 NOK 36.09

-85.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$106 NOK 1,009

-75.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$8.29 NOK 78.6

-62.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.05 NOK 19.49

17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$30.83 NOK 292

-89.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.06 NOK 19.57

-36.41%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.7K NOK 328.9K

-14.07%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.3K NOK 316.2K

-30.06%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$191 NOK 1,814

-57.51%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$35.33 NOK 335

-36.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$74.4 NOK 705

-59.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$44.23 NOK 419

19.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$52.6 NOK 498

-65.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$11.96 NOK 113

-58.86%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$308 NOK 2,918

-34.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$10.2K NOK 96.7K

-49.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$97.7 NOK 926

-63.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$59.6 NOK 565

-32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$104 NOK 983

-23.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$161 NOK 1,524

-46.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$1,071 NOK 10.2K

-8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$704 NOK 6,676

-33.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,317 NOK 12.5K

25.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,138 NOK 10.8K

5.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$3,161 NOK 30.0K

25.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$2,090 NOK 19.8K

216.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$4,017 NOK 38.1K

-83.15%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Arendal: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,071 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $462 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 75% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $2,203 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 494% lower in Arendal. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,071 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $308 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,203 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 75% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.