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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,359 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,603 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,846 in Holmestrand.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 47% less than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Holmestrand is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$19.56 NOK 186

-40.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$100 NOK 948

-58.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$13.39 NOK 127

-21.51%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$4.85 NOK 45.95

-25.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.97 NOK 18.69

-23.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.98 NOK 18.74

-53.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$9.17 NOK 86.9

-67.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$9.41 NOK 89.2

-53.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.65 NOK 15.68

-15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$3.29 NOK 31.22

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.96 NOK 18.60

-20.41%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$4.17 NOK 39.50

-37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$11.15 NOK 106

-25.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$14.10 NOK 134

-40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$40.17 NOK 381

-72.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.99 NOK 18.87

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.34 NOK 22.16

-35.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$3.17 NOK 30.04

-41.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.37 NOK 22.44

-7.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.80 NOK 7.54

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.35 NOK 12.83

65.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$2.84 NOK 26.95

-62.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.92 NOK 18.22

-43.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$13.92 NOK 132

-69.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$17.98 NOK 170

-41.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.00 NOK 28.47

-44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$4.03 NOK 38.19

-35.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$4.21 NOK 39.92

-87.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$74.7 NOK 708

-64.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$9.04 NOK 85.7

-65.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.94 NOK 8.91

155.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$99.3 NOK 941

-96.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.12 NOK 20.07

-38.21%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$38.3K NOK 363.1K

-22.16%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.5K NOK 318.0K

-30.45%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$219 NOK 2,079

-62.94%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$43.10 NOK 409

-47.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$38.56 NOK 366

-22.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$48.42 NOK 459

9.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$35.31 NOK 335

-47.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$15.14 NOK 144

-67.50%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$302 NOK 2,866

-33.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$10.1K NOK 96.2K

-48.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$110 NOK 1,039

-67.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$30.04 NOK 285

33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$98.6 NOK 935

-19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$133 NOK 1,265

-35.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$1,217 NOK 11.5K

-19.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$899 NOK 8,526

-47.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,795 NOK 17.0K

-8.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,556 NOK 14.8K

-22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$5,686 NOK 53.9K

-30.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$3,422 NOK 32.4K

93.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

471.00%

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 Holmestrand: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $100 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $445 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 87% 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 $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $3,538 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,217 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $302 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,359 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 $1,260 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 87% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.