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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,622 in Bergen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,948 in Bergen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,274 in Bergen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 52% less than in Bergen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Bergen is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$25.22 NOK 239

-52.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$102 NOK 965

-57.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$18.97 NOK 180

-43.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-37.84%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.17 NOK 30.10

-52.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$3.01 NOK 28.56

-68.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$11.86 NOK 113

-74.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$9.58 NOK 90.9

-51.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.69 NOK 25.50

-48.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.44 NOK 32.66

-46.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.88 NOK 27.34

-44.10%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$5.03 NOK 47.75

-48.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.96 NOK 132

-40.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$15.99 NOK 152

-47.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$27.79 NOK 264

-61.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.79 NOK 35.95

-30.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.95 NOK 27.98

-49.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.59 NOK 34.03

-46.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$5.70 NOK 54.1

-63.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.62 NOK 24.85

-29.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.87 NOK 27.29

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.91 NOK 27.63

-63.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$2.14 NOK 20.34

-49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$16.78 NOK 159

-75.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$17.96 NOK 170

-42.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$3.44 NOK 32.68

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$4.32 NOK 40.97

-39.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$4.44 NOK 42.14

-87.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$80.0 NOK 759

-66.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$15.23 NOK 145

-79.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.27 NOK 21.55

10.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$72.5 NOK 688

-95.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.21 NOK 20.93

-42.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.9K NOK 340.3K

-15.29%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$42.9K NOK 407.0K

-45.04%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$243 NOK 2,311

-65.91%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$38.80 NOK 368

-41.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$65.3 NOK 620

-54.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$54.2 NOK 514

-5.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$39.54 NOK 375

-53.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$20.20 NOK 192

-75.59%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$282 NOK 2,677

-30.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$12.6K NOK 119.9K

-58.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$90.9 NOK 863

-59.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$55.9 NOK 531

-28.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$112 NOK 1,064

-28.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$147 NOK 1,391

-38.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,295 NOK 12.3K

-26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$973 NOK 9,238

-50.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,994 NOK 18.9K

-17.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,568 NOK 14.9K

-21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$7,844 NOK 74.4K

-50.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$4,587 NOK 43.5K

40.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$4,531 NOK 43.0K

-85.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.85

135.46%

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 Bergen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,295 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 579% 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 $102 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $490 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 Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bergen earns 579% 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 $1,295 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,622 in Bergen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bergen. 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 Bergen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bergen 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 106% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.