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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,372 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,738 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,105 in Hamar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 45% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Hamar is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$25.40 NOK 247

-53.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$123 NOK 1,195

-65.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$15.39 NOK 150

-32.36%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$4.94 NOK 48.11

-26.92%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$4.06 NOK 39.50

-64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$3.18 NOK 30.94

-69.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$12.19 NOK 119

-76.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$8.10 NOK 78.9

-42.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.11 NOK 20.54

-32.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$2.85 NOK 27.72

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.98 NOK 19.26

-20.71%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$4.98 NOK 48.48

-46.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$10.39 NOK 101

-18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$12.07 NOK 118

-28.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$30.86 NOK 301

-64.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$3.55 NOK 34.58

-23.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$2.61 NOK 25.43

-42.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$3.01 NOK 29.30

-36.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$5.00 NOK 48.71

-56.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$2.37 NOK 23.06

-21.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$2.38 NOK 23.18

-6.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.99 NOK 19.35

-45.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.89 NOK 18.42

-43.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$17.50 NOK 170

-76.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$18.45 NOK 180

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$3.45 NOK 33.60

-51.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$4.27 NOK 41.62

-40.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$4.34 NOK 42.30

-87.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$65.0 NOK 633

-59.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$10.03 NOK 97.7

-68.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$1.40 NOK 13.65

75.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$42.03 NOK 409

-92.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$2.20 NOK 21.43

-40.00%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$36.1K NOK 351.8K

-16.51%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$43.4K NOK 422.3K

-46.04%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$219 NOK 2,137

-62.92%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$30.64 NOK 298

-26.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$55.7 NOK 542

-46.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$56.2 NOK 547

-8.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$27.84 NOK 271

-33.94%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$18.11 NOK 176

-71.51%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$199 NOK 1,939

1.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$14.6K NOK 142.2K

-63.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$104 NOK 1,017

-65.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$59.5 NOK 580

-32.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$123 NOK 1,197

-36.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$101 NOK 981

-13.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$1,192 NOK 11.6K

-20.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$845 NOK 8,227

-43.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$1,491 NOK 14.5K

8.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$1,465 NOK 14.3K

-16.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$4,331 NOK 42.2K

-7.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$3,526 NOK 34.3K

83.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$4,192 NOK 40.8K

-83.95%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Hamar: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $1,192 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 523% 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 $123 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $437 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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $2,372 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 523% lower in Hamar. 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,192 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% 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 $42.00 versus $123 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,372 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 83% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.