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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,467 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,691 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,916 in Harstad.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% less than in Harstad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Harstad is 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$13.36 NOK 127

-12.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$122 NOK 1,155

-65.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$15.42 NOK 146

-32.49%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$5.97 NOK 56.5

-39.53%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$3.46 NOK 32.77

-57.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$3.01 NOK 28.49

-67.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$11.30 NOK 107

-74.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$11.19 NOK 106

-58.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$2.32 NOK 21.93

-38.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$3.16 NOK 29.96

-39.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.96 NOK 27.99

-46.96%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$4.19 NOK 39.68

-36.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$10.48 NOK 99.2

-19.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$15.43 NOK 146

-44.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$37.07 NOK 351

-70.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$4.03 NOK 38.13

-33.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$2.78 NOK 26.36

-45.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$3.48 NOK 32.96

-45.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$4.60 NOK 43.62

-52.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.97 NOK 18.62

-5.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$2.05 NOK 19.39

8.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.63 NOK 24.93

-58.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.76 NOK 16.66

-39.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$14.68 NOK 139

-71.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$15.93 NOK 151

-35.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$3.53 NOK 33.46

-52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$4.53 NOK 42.88

-44.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$5.96 NOK 56.4

-90.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$80.9 NOK 766

-67.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$12.74 NOK 121

-74.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.38 NOK 13.05

78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$51.7 NOK 489

-93.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$2.11 NOK 19.98

-37.44%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$33.2K NOK 314.9K

-9.30%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$29.8K NOK 282.2K

-21.47%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$160 NOK 1,519

-49.26%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$33.10 NOK 314

-32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$76.8 NOK 728

-60.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$48.85 NOK 463

5.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$35.27 NOK 334

-47.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$16.38 NOK 155

-68.50%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$334 NOK 3,160

-39.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$5,051 NOK 47.8K

5.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$75.2 NOK 712

-52.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$33.37 NOK 316

20.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$116 NOK 1,099

-32.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$133 NOK 1,259

-34.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$1,322 NOK 12.5K

-28.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$998 NOK 9,455

-52.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$2,177 NOK 20.6K

-25.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

-16.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$5,877 NOK 55.7K

-31.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$4,180 NOK 39.6K

54.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$3,523 NOK 33.4K

-80.90%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Harstad: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $1,322 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 424% 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 $122 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $477 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Harstad earns 424% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,322 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% 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 $122 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,467 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 91% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.