Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Elverum

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,805 in Elverum, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Elverum, Norway
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Elverum
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,805
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,805 in Elverum, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Elverum $2,805

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,229 in Elverum, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Elverum $4,229

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,654 in Elverum, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Elverum $5,654

Playa del Carmen is about 57% cheaper than Elverum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Elverum is 106% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$21.64 NOK 201
-49.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$110 NOK 1,024
-60.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$16.40 NOK 152
-28.17%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$5.58 NOK 51.8
-31.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$5.64 NOK 52.4
-77.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$4.26 NOK 39.56
-81.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$13.68 NOK 127
-76.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$13.07 NOK 121
-62.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$2.63 NOK 24.47
-46.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$3.61 NOK 33.50
-38.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$3.73 NOK 34.63
-61.93%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$4.93 NOK 45.84
-48.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$13.56 NOK 126
-46.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$16.69 NOK 155
-53.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$32.85 NOK 305
-61.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$3.92 NOK 36.45
-29.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$2.94 NOK 27.33
-53.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$3.82 NOK 35.50
-33.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$5.64 NOK 52.4
-62.41%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.98 NOK 27.67
-34.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$3.11 NOK 28.86
-39.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$2.88 NOK 26.76
-60.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$2.27 NOK 21.12
-48.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$17.64 NOK 164
-75.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$18.67 NOK 173
-46.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$3.53 NOK 32.82
-55.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$4.57 NOK 42.43
-41.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$4.17 NOK 38.74
-86.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$81.5 NOK 757
-67.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$9.49 NOK 88.1
-47.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.66 NOK 15.46
100.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$60.4 NOK 562
-91.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$2.60 NOK 24.20
-44.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$47.4K NOK 440.7K
-56.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$46.5K NOK 432.4K
-49.59%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$275 NOK 2,556
-69.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$35.85 NOK 333
-34.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$83.0 NOK 771
-65.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$56.1 NOK 521
1.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$38.16 NOK 355
-24.24%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$19.20 NOK 178
-73.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$301 NOK 2,793
-31.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$4,543 NOK 42.2K
-13.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$111 NOK 1,029
-60.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$52.2 NOK 485
-20.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$122 NOK 1,137
-39.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$157 NOK 1,462
-43.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$1,228 NOK 11.4K
-20.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$1,059 NOK 9,838
-64.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$2,054 NOK 19.1K
-16.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,735 NOK 16.1K
-38.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$6,437 NOK 59.8K
-38.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$4,241 NOK 39.4K
45.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Elverum
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$4,272 NOK 39.7K
-82.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.32
115.23%

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 Elverum: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Elverum
$1.1K 178% $678
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Elverum
$519 104% $264
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Elverum
$423 109% $221
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Elverum
$394 188% $257
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Elverum
$199 78.3% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Elverum
$95 40.4% $27
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Elverum
$116 130% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,228 in Elverum. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Elverum are about 5.8 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 $110 in Elverum. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $519 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇳🇴 Elverum
🕒 Local time
16:23 4:23 PM
22:23 10:23 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
21,775
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Elverum 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Elverum

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 Elverum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Elverum?
Yes – Elverum is pricier by about 133%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,207 in Elverum. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,228 in Elverum.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $301 in Elverum. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Elverum?
Groceries cost about 104% more in Elverum, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Elverum?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Elverum at $2,805. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elverum it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Elverum more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elverum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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