Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Halden

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,619 in Halden, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Halden
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Halden Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Halden

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,619 in Halden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Halden $2,619

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,046 in Halden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Halden $4,046

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,474 in Halden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Halden $5,474

Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper than Halden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Halden is 92% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$21.23 NOK 196

-48.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$107 NOK 990

-59.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$13.13 NOK 121

-10.28%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$4.92 NOK 45.35

-22.56%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$3.80 NOK 35.03

-66.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$3.15 NOK 29.04

-75.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$10.45 NOK 96.3

-69.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$9.69 NOK 89.3

-49.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$2.41 NOK 22.17

-41.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$4.16 NOK 38.32

-46.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$4.26 NOK 39.30

-66.67%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$4.83 NOK 44.52

-47.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$15.04 NOK 139

-51.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$15.64 NOK 144

-50.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$31.68 NOK 292

-59.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.39 NOK 31.22

-17.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.67 NOK 24.63

-48.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$3.46 NOK 31.93

-26.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$4.01 NOK 36.94

-47.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.60 NOK 23.98

-25.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.99 NOK 27.53

-36.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$3.18 NOK 29.28

-63.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$2.18 NOK 20.14

-45.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$15.26 NOK 141

-71.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$16.77 NOK 155

-40.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.76 NOK 25.44

-42.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$4.01 NOK 36.99

-33.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$4.90 NOK 45.16

-88.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$44.29 NOK 408

-39.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$12.32 NOK 114

-59.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.84 NOK 16.94

80.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$71.4 NOK 658

-92.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$2.27 NOK 20.92

-36.56%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$49.9K NOK 459.8K

-58.58%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$45.9K NOK 423.1K

-48.88%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$427 NOK 3,934

-80.13%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$32.04 NOK 295

-26.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$54.4 NOK 501

-47.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$57.9 NOK 534

-1.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$32.18 NOK 297

-10.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$16.84 NOK 155

-69.48%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$241 NOK 2,225

-14.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$15.6K NOK 144.0K

-74.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$103 NOK 950

-57.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$61.0 NOK 562

-32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$135 NOK 1,243

-44.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$127 NOK 1,170

-29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$964 NOK 8,884

1.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$874 NOK 8,052

-56.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$2,006 NOK 18.5K

-14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,692 NOK 15.6K

-36.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$2,177 NOK 20.1K

81.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,907 NOK 17.6K

222.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,598 NOK 33.2K

-79.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.75

141.05%

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 Halden: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Halden

$874 33.4% 129% $493

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Halden

$495 18.9% 94.4% $241

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Halden

$368 14% 81.7% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Halden

$513 19.6% 275% $376

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Halden

$192 7.3% 71.5% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Halden

$92 3.5% 36.1% $24

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Halden

$85 3.3% 69.3% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $964 in Halden. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Halden are about 4.9 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 $107 in Halden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $495 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Halden

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

04:25 4:25 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

31,965

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 NOK = 10.85 USD

100 NOK = 9.72 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.22 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.29 NOK (100 NOK = 9.72 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Halden 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Halden

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 Halden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,619 in Halden – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 54% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,928 in Halden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Halden. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Halden, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $107 in Halden. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Halden at $2,619. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Halden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,619 in Halden. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Halden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.