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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,409 in Harstad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,726 in Harstad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,042 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 5% below, Harstad is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$13.75 NOK 130

-14.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$121 NOK 1,147

-65.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$14.90 NOK 141

-29.46%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$6.15 NOK 58.3

-41.63%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$3.48 NOK 33.02

-56.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$2.99 NOK 28.39

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$11.09 NOK 105

-73.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$11.02 NOK 104

-59.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.36 NOK 22.35

-40.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$3.24 NOK 30.76

-41.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$3.05 NOK 28.94

-48.85%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$4.12 NOK 39.10

-36.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.32 NOK 97.9

-19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$15.36 NOK 146

-45.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$37.92 NOK 360

-71.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$3.86 NOK 36.57

-29.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.67 NOK 25.35

-43.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.57 NOK 33.90

-47.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.42 NOK 41.89

-50.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.97 NOK 18.71

-5.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.06 NOK 19.50

8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$2.65 NOK 25.12

-59.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.77 NOK 16.81

-38.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$14.88 NOK 141

-71.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$15.60 NOK 148

-33.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.67 NOK 34.77

-54.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$4.65 NOK 44.10

-43.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$5.94 NOK 56.3

-90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$79.2 NOK 751

-66.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$12.40 NOK 118

-75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.40 NOK 13.31

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$50.3 NOK 477

-93.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.23 NOK 21.15

-41.26%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$33.0K NOK 313.2K

-9.76%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$30.8K NOK 292.1K

-24.30%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$161 NOK 1,530

-49.61%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$33.09 NOK 314

-31.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$74.4 NOK 706

-59.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$48.47 NOK 460

9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$34.73 NOK 329

-47.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$16.56 NOK 157

-70.29%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$328 NOK 3,107

-38.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,983 NOK 47.2K

3.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$74.9 NOK 711

-52.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$32.93 NOK 312

21.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$115 NOK 1,087

-30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$132 NOK 1,253

-34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$1,290 NOK 12.2K

-24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$1,019 NOK 9,659

-53.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$2,174 NOK 20.6K

-24.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,449 NOK 13.7K

-16.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$5,899 NOK 55.9K

-32.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$4,054 NOK 38.4K

62.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$3,382 NOK 32.1K

-79.99%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Harstad: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,290 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 400% 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 $121 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $479 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, salaries run 400% lower in Harstad. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,290 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% 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 $121 in Harstad. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,409 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.