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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,485 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,699 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,912 in Harstad.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 49% less than in Harstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Harstad is 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$13.48 NOK 125

-13.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$123 NOK 1,145

-65.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$15.11 NOK 140

-31.17%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$5.99 NOK 55.7

-39.73%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$3.44 NOK 31.99

-57.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$3.07 NOK 28.55

-70.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$11.11 NOK 103

-72.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$11.20 NOK 104

-60.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$2.33 NOK 21.67

-40.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$3.16 NOK 29.38

-41.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$3.10 NOK 28.84

-48.06%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$4.28 NOK 39.79

-39.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$10.56 NOK 98.2

-19.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$15.15 NOK 141

-43.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$38.04 NOK 354

-71.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$3.88 NOK 36.12

-29.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.77 NOK 25.80

-45.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$3.52 NOK 32.72

-44.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$4.64 NOK 43.16

-54.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.99 NOK 18.54

-6.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.05 NOK 19.10

5.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$2.68 NOK 24.91

-60.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.76 NOK 16.40

-40.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$15.25 NOK 142

-72.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$16.36 NOK 152

-37.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$3.62 NOK 33.66

-53.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$4.53 NOK 42.14

-45.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$6.03 NOK 56.1

-91.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$79.3 NOK 737

-66.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$12.82 NOK 119

-75.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.44 NOK 13.41

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$50.5 NOK 470

-93.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$2.13 NOK 19.78

-40.85%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$33.5K NOK 311.9K

-10.05%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$30.4K NOK 282.3K

-22.77%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$159 NOK 1,480

-47.23%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$33.50 NOK 312

-33.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$76.7 NOK 714

-61.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$48.47 NOK 451

8.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$35.46 NOK 330

-48.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$16.65 NOK 155

-70.27%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$336 NOK 3,125

-40.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$5,048 NOK 47.0K

5.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$77.2 NOK 718

-53.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$32.68 NOK 304

22.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$117 NOK 1,089

-32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$135 NOK 1,260

-36.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$1,331 NOK 12.4K

-26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$1,021 NOK 9,498

-53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$2,200 NOK 20.5K

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$1,443 NOK 13.4K

-15.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$5,987 NOK 55.7K

-32.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$4,636 NOK 43.1K

41.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$3,563 NOK 33.1K

-79.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.27

167.45%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Harstad: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $1,331 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 399% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $123 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $481 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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Harstad earns 399% 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,331 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Harstad. 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 Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,485 in Harstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Harstad. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Harstad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.