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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,417 in Hamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,870 in Hamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,324 in Hamar.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% less than in Hamar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Hamar is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$21.27 NOK 200

-45.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$130 NOK 1,221

-63.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$16.05 NOK 151

-25.98%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$6.13 NOK 57.7

-35.07%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$4.14 NOK 39.04

-65.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$3.35 NOK 31.55

-75.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$12.03 NOK 113

-73.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$8.43 NOK 79.4

-19.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.51 NOK 23.66

-33.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$3.03 NOK 28.53

-27.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.13 NOK 20.03

-19.72%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$5.90 NOK 55.6

-53.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$11.32 NOK 107

-15.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$12.64 NOK 119

-28.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$29.76 NOK 280

-56.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.40 NOK 32.04

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.66 NOK 25.05

-43.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.18 NOK 29.96

-32.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$5.98 NOK 56.3

-62.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.51 NOK 23.69

-21.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.54 NOK 23.93

-21.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$2.13 NOK 20.02

-42.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$2.02 NOK 19.06

-40.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$19.26 NOK 181

-76.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$16.86 NOK 159

-38.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$3.61 NOK 34.00

-55.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.37 NOK 41.21

-34.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$4.68 NOK 44.09

-87.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$69.9 NOK 658

-58.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$12.00 NOK 113

-55.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.86 NOK 17.51

100.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$71.9 NOK 677

-91.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.36 NOK 22.25

-34.75%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$48.5K NOK 456.9K

-53.51%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$46.2K NOK 434.8K

-43.54%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$227 NOK 2,136

-59.71%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$32.60 NOK 307

-22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$56.7 NOK 534

-44.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$57.8 NOK 544

16.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$30.57 NOK 288

-4.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$19.33 NOK 182

-74.86%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$217 NOK 2,043

3.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$16.0K NOK 150.5K

-73.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$101 NOK 950

-53.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$60.8 NOK 572

-27.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$133 NOK 1,254

-39.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$105 NOK 991

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$1,235 NOK 11.6K

-13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$882 NOK 8,307

-55.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,635 NOK 15.4K

31.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,540 NOK 14.5K

-17.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$4,449 NOK 41.9K

-10.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$3,468 NOK 32.7K

87.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$4,256 NOK 40.1K

-82.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.98

129.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Hamar: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,235 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 461% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $130 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $455 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 91% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $2,417 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 461% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,235 in Hamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% 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 $47.00 versus $130 in Hamar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,417 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 91% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.