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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,370 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,691 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,011 in Hamar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 46% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Hamar is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$25.45 NOK 237

-53.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$121 NOK 1,128

-64.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$14.88 NOK 139

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$5.05 NOK 47.02

-28.32%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$4.10 NOK 38.25

-64.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$3.18 NOK 29.62

-70.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$12.08 NOK 113

-74.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$7.94 NOK 74.0

-43.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.07 NOK 19.32

-30.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.87 NOK 26.79

-34.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.07 NOK 19.30

-21.26%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.97 NOK 46.29

-46.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.69 NOK 99.6

-23.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$11.99 NOK 112

-30.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$31.44 NOK 293

-64.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.48 NOK 32.45

-23.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.61 NOK 24.32

-42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.88 NOK 26.81

-30.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$5.16 NOK 48.05

-59.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.39 NOK 22.24

-25.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.45 NOK 22.84

-11.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.01 NOK 18.73

-46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.94 NOK 18.10

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$16.88 NOK 157

-76.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$18.77 NOK 175

-45.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.40 NOK 31.68

-49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$4.16 NOK 38.80

-39.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$4.48 NOK 41.76

-88.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$65.2 NOK 607

-58.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$10.20 NOK 95.1

-69.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.40 NOK 13.07

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$42.35 NOK 395

-92.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.10 NOK 19.60

-39.52%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$36.9K NOK 344.0K

-16.33%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$43.4K NOK 404.4K

-46.27%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$215 NOK 2,007

-61.92%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$31.45 NOK 293

-28.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$56.0 NOK 521

-46.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$55.9 NOK 521

-7.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$27.85 NOK 260

-32.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$17.91 NOK 167

-72.25%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$199 NOK 1,856

-0.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$14.9K NOK 138.5K

-64.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$105 NOK 982

-65.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$61.6 NOK 574

-35.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$124 NOK 1,157

-35.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$99.8 NOK 930

-10.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,168 NOK 10.9K

-17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$847 NOK 7,898

-45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

7.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,435 NOK 13.4K

-15.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$4,391 NOK 40.9K

-10.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$3,528 NOK 32.9K

82.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$4,348 NOK 40.5K

-83.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.08

124.80%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hamar: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,168 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 504% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $121 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $441 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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Hamar differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $2,370 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hamar earns 504% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,168 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% 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 $43.00 versus $121 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,370 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 84% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.