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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,055 in Fredrikstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,418 in Fredrikstad.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Fredrikstad is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$18.53 NOK 172

-36.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$110 NOK 1,018

-62.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$11.98 NOK 111

-11.19%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$5.16 NOK 47.91

-31.78%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$3.90 NOK 36.25

-61.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$2.80 NOK 25.98

-65.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$11.30 NOK 105

-73.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$10.19 NOK 94.7

-56.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.17 NOK 20.17

-36.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$4.45 NOK 41.36

-57.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$3.23 NOK 30.00

-49.23%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$5.46 NOK 50.8

-54.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.89 NOK 110

-29.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$15.75 NOK 146

-47.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$33.73 NOK 313

-68.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$4.74 NOK 44.06

-45.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$3.45 NOK 32.09

-57.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$4.50 NOK 41.83

-57.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$5.06 NOK 47.00

-58.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$2.89 NOK 26.81

-38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$2.75 NOK 25.58

-20.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$2.73 NOK 25.40

-61.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.82 NOK 16.94

-40.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$15.09 NOK 140

-72.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$22.89 NOK 213

-54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$3.32 NOK 30.80

-48.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$6.01 NOK 55.8

-57.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$3.90 NOK 36.22

-86.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$62.3 NOK 579

-57.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$6.15 NOK 57.1

-46.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.46 NOK 13.56

70.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$53.8 NOK 500

-93.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.32 NOK 21.58

-43.53%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.3K NOK 328.0K

-14.25%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$37.8K NOK 351.5K

-38.08%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$336 NOK 3,119

-75.31%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$38.13 NOK 354

-41.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$56.0 NOK 520

-47.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$48.08 NOK 447

7.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$39.46 NOK 367

-53.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$21.86 NOK 203

-76.81%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$283 NOK 2,629

-29.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

-48.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$149 NOK 1,383

-75.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$61.3 NOK 569

-35.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$166 NOK 1,539

-52.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$134 NOK 1,242

-34.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$1,288 NOK 12.0K

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$953 NOK 8,851

-50.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$2,048 NOK 19.0K

-19.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,537 NOK 14.3K

-20.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$6,150 NOK 57.1K

-35.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$4,533 NOK 42.1K

43.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$3,416 NOK 31.7K

-80.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.25

168.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Fredrikstad: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fredrikstad pays 414% 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 $110 in Fredrikstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $526 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 Fredrikstad: 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 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Fredrikstad earns 414% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,288 in Fredrikstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $283 in Fredrikstad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 111% higher in Fredrikstad. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,692 in Fredrikstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fredrikstad. 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 Fredrikstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Fredrikstad 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 108% less than in Fredrikstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.