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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,886 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,324 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,763 in Holmestrand.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 56% less than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Holmestrand is 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$21.57 NOK 203

-46.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$131 NOK 1,230

-63.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$15.98 NOK 150

-25.66%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$5.99 NOK 56.4

-33.56%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$4.28 NOK 40.31

-66.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$3.32 NOK 31.32

-75.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$11.62 NOK 109

-72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$12.83 NOK 121

-47.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.55 NOK 23.99

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$4.12 NOK 38.83

-46.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$4.71 NOK 44.34

-63.69%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$6.21 NOK 58.5

-55.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$15.05 NOK 142

-36.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$15.44 NOK 145

-41.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$29.69 NOK 280

-56.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.37 NOK 31.74

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.63 NOK 24.74

-42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$3.65 NOK 34.35

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$6.04 NOK 56.9

-62.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$2.73 NOK 25.76

-27.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$2.94 NOK 27.73

-32.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$3.24 NOK 30.52

-62.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$2.43 NOK 22.86

-50.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$18.96 NOK 179

-76.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$17.10 NOK 161

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$3.66 NOK 34.44

-55.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.26 NOK 40.12

-32.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$5.09 NOK 47.92

-88.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$90.4 NOK 852

-68.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$12.27 NOK 116

-56.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.92 NOK 18.06

94.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$72.6 NOK 684

-92.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.27 NOK 21.35

-32.16%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$48.9K NOK 461.0K

-53.92%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$45.1K NOK 424.4K

-42.17%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$431 NOK 4,062

-78.81%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$32.84 NOK 309

-23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$56.5 NOK 532

-44.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$56.9 NOK 536

18.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$32.52 NOK 306

-10.49%

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

$249 NOK 2,344

-10.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$16.1K NOK 151.5K

-73.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$105 NOK 986

-54.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$60.9 NOK 573

-27.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$136 NOK 1,279

-41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$163 NOK 1,535

-43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$1,267 NOK 11.9K

-16.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$1,068 NOK 10.1K

-63.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$2,213 NOK 20.9K

-2.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,955 NOK 18.4K

-34.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$6,013 NOK 56.6K

-33.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$4,360 NOK 41.1K

49.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

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 Holmestrand: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,267 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $131 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $516 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 Holmestrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Holmestrand. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $4,329 in Holmestrand to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,267 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $249 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,886 in Holmestrand, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Holmestrand. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Holmestrand 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 128% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.