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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,602 in Drangsnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,826 in Drangsnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,050 in Drangsnes.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 21% less than in Drangsnes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Drangsnes is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$27.09 ISK 3,349

-56.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$146 ISK 18.0K

-71.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$22.43 ISK 2,772

-53.14%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$6.21 ISK 767

-42.19%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$3.37 ISK 416

-55.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$2.56 ISK 316

-64.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$12.80 ISK 1,582

-76.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$11.29 ISK 1,396

-60.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.96 ISK 243

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$4.35 ISK 537

-56.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$3.67 ISK 453

-57.49%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$6.48 ISK 801

-59.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$18.10 ISK 2,237

-54.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$24.54 ISK 3,033

-65.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$41.85 ISK 5,172

-74.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.21 ISK 397

-15.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.46 ISK 304

-38.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.11 ISK 384

-39.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$5.14 ISK 636

-57.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$3.72 ISK 459

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.32 ISK 286

-3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$3.04 ISK 376

-64.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$2.01 ISK 249

-45.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$13.39 ISK 1,655

-68.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$23.52 ISK 2,907

-55.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.57 ISK 441

-53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.26 ISK 403

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$6.33 ISK 782

-51.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.65 ISK 327

-9.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$85.5 ISK 10.6K

-96.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.53 ISK 313

-48.22%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$46.9K ISK 5.8M

-36.39%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$52.7K ISK 6.5M

-55.78%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$86.7 ISK 10.7K

-6.25%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.67 ISK 3,420

-18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$85.9 ISK 10.6K

-65.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$17.91 ISK 2,213

-72.53%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$315 ISK 38.9K

-36.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$29.5K ISK 3.6M

-82.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$139 ISK 17.2K

-74.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$60.9 ISK 7,523

-34.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$184 ISK 22.8K

-56.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$266 ISK 32.9K

-67.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$5,921 ISK 731.8K

-88.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.63

18.59%

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 Drangsnes: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Drangsnes pays 775% 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 $146 in Drangsnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $599 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 Drangsnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Drangsnes. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 775% lower in Drangsnes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Drangsnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $146 in Drangsnes. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,602 in Drangsnes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Drangsnes. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Drangsnes 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 27% less than in Drangsnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.