Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bergen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,844 in Bergen, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Bergen
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Bergen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Bergen

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,844

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Bergen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,844 in Bergen.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Bergen $2,844

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,282 in Bergen.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Bergen $4,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,719 in Bergen.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Bergen $5,719

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 57% less than in Bergen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Bergen is 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$22.98 NOK 219

-52.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$135 NOK 1,292

-66.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$15.52 NOK 148

-23.20%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$5.42 NOK 51.8

-29.89%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$5.10 NOK 48.71

-74.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$4.47 NOK 42.65

-80.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$12.57 NOK 120

-74.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$10.41 NOK 99.4

-51.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$2.15 NOK 20.57

-32.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$3.78 NOK 36.13

-38.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.51 NOK 33.54

-58.97%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$6.41 NOK 61.3

-61.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$14.32 NOK 137

-46.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$17.21 NOK 164

-54.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$36.16 NOK 345

-64.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$4.12 NOK 39.38

-29.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.72 NOK 25.95

-47.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$3.61 NOK 34.44

-28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$5.39 NOK 51.4

-60.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$2.52 NOK 24.02

-22.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$3.35 NOK 31.97

-42.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.86 NOK 27.34

-59.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$1.78 NOK 17.03

-31.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$17.10 NOK 163

-74.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$17.97 NOK 172

-45.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$3.59 NOK 34.31

-57.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$4.21 NOK 40.20

-35.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$5.15 NOK 49.21

-89.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$86.4 NOK 825

-68.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$12.39 NOK 118

-60.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$1.84 NOK 17.61

91.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$70.5 NOK 674

-91.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.35 NOK 22.42

-34.47%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$48.6K NOK 463.7K

-56.25%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$43.3K NOK 413.9K

-43.50%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$275 NOK 2,623

-69.56%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$32.93 NOK 314

-27.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$82.9 NOK 791

-64.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$45.61 NOK 436

42.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$41.77 NOK 399

-29.47%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$18.87 NOK 180

-73.03%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$238 NOK 2,272

-12.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$12.0K NOK 114.9K

-66.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$107 NOK 1,022

-58.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$54.6 NOK 522

-22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$118 NOK 1,128

-36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$162 NOK 1,545

-43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,414 NOK 13.5K

-30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$1,083 NOK 10.3K

-64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,348 NOK 22.4K

-27.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$1,696 NOK 16.2K

-34.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$7,822 NOK 74.7K

-48.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$4,769 NOK 45.5K

31.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$4,527 NOK 43.2K

-83.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.27

117.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Bergen: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Bergen

$1.1K 38.3% 181% $698

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Bergen

$524 18.6% 101% $264

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Bergen

$417 14.8% 105% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Bergen

$390 13.8% 185% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Bergen

$199 7% 74.1% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Bergen

$83 3% 11.1% $8.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Bergen

$129 4.6% 147% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $1,414 in Bergen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bergen pays 497% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $135 in Bergen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $524 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Bergen

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

12:33 12:33 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

292,482

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.7 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Bergen 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Bergen

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 Bergen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 497% lower in Bergen. 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,414 in Bergen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $238 in Bergen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Bergen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,844 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 134% less than in Bergen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.