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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,154 in Halden, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,629 in Halden, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,105 in Halden, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 42% cheaper than Halden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Halden is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$20.29 NOK 195

-40.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$101 NOK 971

-58.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$12.23 NOK 118

-12.10%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$4.61 NOK 44.38

-24.08%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$3.48 NOK 33.50

-58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$3.03 NOK 29.17

-70.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$10.02 NOK 96.5

-70.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$9.17 NOK 88.4

-50.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$2.32 NOK 22.31

-38.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$3.00 NOK 28.92

-38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$2.93 NOK 28.19

-46.42%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$4.16 NOK 40.09

-39.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$12.41 NOK 120

-33.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$14.57 NOK 140

-42.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$31.76 NOK 306

-66.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$3.56 NOK 34.32

-26.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$2.53 NOK 24.41

-43.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$3.35 NOK 32.25

-41.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$4.56 NOK 43.89

-54.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$2.51 NOK 24.18

-26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$2.57 NOK 24.79

-15.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$2.89 NOK 27.82

-64.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$1.60 NOK 15.38

-33.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$14.83 NOK 143

-72.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$16.23 NOK 156

-37.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$2.65 NOK 25.55

-36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$3.93 NOK 37.87

-35.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$4.26 NOK 41.00

-88.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$59.6 NOK 574

-56.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$9.99 NOK 96.2

-67.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$1.38 NOK 13.29

74.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$42.74 NOK 412

-92.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$2.20 NOK 21.20

-40.00%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$36.7K NOK 353.5K

-19.09%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$42.7K NOK 411.0K

-44.55%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$303 NOK 2,922

-72.96%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$30.68 NOK 295

-25.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$40.32 NOK 388

-25.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$54.9 NOK 529

-5.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$35.19 NOK 339

-47.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$15.78 NOK 152

-68.44%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$266 NOK 2,564

-25.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$14.5K NOK 139.6K

-63.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$95.0 NOK 915

-62.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$64.6 NOK 622

-37.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$123 NOK 1,187

-36.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$123 NOK 1,181

-27.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$918 NOK 8,840

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$661 NOK 6,369

-28.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$1,948 NOK 18.8K

-15.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,642 NOK 15.8K

-26.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$5,815 NOK 56.0K

-30.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$3,949 NOK 38.0K

63.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$3,338 NOK 32.1K

-80.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.75

140.42%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Halden: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $918 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 run about 410% higher in Halden, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $101 in Halden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $453 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $2,154 in Halden – roughly 71% apart. Halden costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,231 in Halden. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% more in Halden, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $101 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 $1,256, than in Halden at $2,154. 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 $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $2,154 in Halden. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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