Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baerum

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,200 in Baerum, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Baerum
Learn more

Baerum Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Baerum

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Baerum

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Baerum actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,200 in Baerum, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Baerum $3,200

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,976 in Baerum, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Baerum $4,976

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,752 in Baerum, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Baerum $6,752

Playa del Carmen is about 62% cheaper than Baerum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Baerum is 135% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$21.48 NOK 197

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$131 NOK 1,203

-66.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$16.27 NOK 149

-27.60%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$6.07 NOK 55.7

-37.23%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$4.30 NOK 39.52

-70.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$3.35 NOK 30.77

-76.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$11.64 NOK 107

-72.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$13.09 NOK 120

-62.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.49 NOK 22.83

-43.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.67 NOK 33.75

-39.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$4.92 NOK 45.22

-71.14%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$5.89 NOK 54.1

-57.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$10.74 NOK 98.7

-32.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$15.80 NOK 145

-51.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$32.14 NOK 295

-60.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.70 NOK 24.78

2.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$2.09 NOK 19.23

-34.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$2.10 NOK 19.28

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$4.39 NOK 40.29

-51.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.74 NOK 16.02

11.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$2.87 NOK 26.34

-34.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$3.29 NOK 30.19

-65.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$2.53 NOK 23.24

-53.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$19.05 NOK 175

-77.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$17.01 NOK 156

-41.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$3.64 NOK 33.43

-56.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$4.46 NOK 41.01

-40.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$4.40 NOK 40.44

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$12.34 NOK 113

-59.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.83 NOK 16.77

81.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$70.7 NOK 649

-92.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$2.35 NOK 21.59

-38.72%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$29.2K NOK 268.3K

-29.23%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$26.1K NOK 239.6K

-10.02%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$340 NOK 3,119

-75.03%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$34.21 NOK 314

-31.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$55.3 NOK 508

-48.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$54.7 NOK 502

4.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$15.85 NOK 146

-67.57%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$245 NOK 2,253

-15.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$16.0K NOK 146.5K

-75.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$103 NOK 946

-57.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$62.4 NOK 574

-33.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$135 NOK 1,241

-45.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$160 NOK 1,466

-44.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,747 NOK 16.0K

-43.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$1,546 NOK 14.2K

-75.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$3,538 NOK 32.5K

-51.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$2,995 NOK 27.5K

-64.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$11.3K NOK 104.2K

-65.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$10.1K NOK 93.0K

-39.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$5,569 NOK 51.2K

-86.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.6

148.91%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baerum: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Baerum

$1.5K 48.3% 306% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Baerum

$484 15.1% 90.2% $230

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Baerum

$408 12.8% 102% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Baerum

$429 13.4% 214% $292

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Baerum

$207 6.5% 85.3% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Baerum

$86 2.7% 28.3% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Baerum

$39 * 1.2% 22.5% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,747 in Baerum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Baerum are about 7.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $131 in Baerum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $484 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Baerum

🕒 Local time

23:00 11:00 PM

05:00 5:00 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

131,136

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Baerum 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Baerum

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Baerum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Baerum is pricier by about 166%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,800 in Baerum. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,747 in Baerum.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,200 in Baerum. That makes Playa del Carmen about 62% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $245 in Baerum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Baerum at $3,200. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Baerum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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