Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,461 in Hamar, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Hamar
Learn more

Hamar Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Hamar

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,461 in Hamar.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Hamar $2,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,857 in Hamar.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Hamar $3,857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,253 in Hamar.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Hamar $5,253

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 51% less than in Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Hamar is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$21.67 NOK 200

-49.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$129 NOK 1,191

-66.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$16.21 NOK 149

-27.33%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$5.89 NOK 54.3

-35.31%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$4.52 NOK 41.67

-71.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$3.39 NOK 31.23

-76.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$12.04 NOK 111

-73.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$8.70 NOK 80.2

-43.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$2.56 NOK 23.60

-44.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$3.10 NOK 28.60

-28.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$2.10 NOK 19.32

-32.38%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$6.23 NOK 57.5

-59.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$11.12 NOK 102

-34.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$12.62 NOK 116

-38.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$31.47 NOK 290

-59.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.36 NOK 30.98

-17.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.77 NOK 25.55

-50.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$3.08 NOK 28.43

-17.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$6.17 NOK 56.9

-65.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$2.50 NOK 23.08

-22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.61 NOK 24.08

-27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.19 NOK 20.23

-47.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$2.01 NOK 18.51

-41.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$19.50 NOK 180

-77.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$16.93 NOK 156

-41.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$3.55 NOK 32.77

-55.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$4.38 NOK 40.37

-39.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$4.66 NOK 42.91

-88.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$69.2 NOK 638

-61.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$12.31 NOK 113

-59.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.93 NOK 17.80

72.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$72.8 NOK 671

-92.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$2.39 NOK 22.02

-39.75%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$49.6K NOK 457.0K

-58.32%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$46.3K NOK 426.5K

-49.29%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$230 NOK 2,120

-63.14%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$34.38 NOK 317

-31.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$55.1 NOK 507

-47.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$59.1 NOK 545

-3.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$29.46 NOK 272

-1.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$20.16 NOK 186

-74.50%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$217 NOK 1,997

-4.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$16.1K NOK 148.0K

-75.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$104 NOK 960

-58.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$60.5 NOK 557

-31.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$136 NOK 1,254

-45.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$106 NOK 975

-15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,270 NOK 11.7K

-22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$884 NOK 8,149

-56.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,595 NOK 14.7K

7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,517 NOK 14.0K

-29.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$4,359 NOK 40.2K

-9.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$3,609 NOK 33.3K

70.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$4,415 NOK 40.7K

-83.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.94

131.78%

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 Hamar: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Hamar

$884 35.9% 132% $503

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Hamar

$463 18.8% 81.9% $209

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Hamar

$402 16.3% 98.6% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Hamar

$319 13% 134% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Hamar

$183 7.4% 63.8% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Hamar

$99 4% 47.7% $32

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Hamar

$110 4.5% 118% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,270 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $129 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $463 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Hamar

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

11:40 11:40 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

33,059

💱 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 = 20.97 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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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Hamar 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Hamar

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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,461 in Hamar, so Playa del Carmen is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,270 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Hamar. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $129 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,461 in Hamar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hamar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.