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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,340 in Holmestrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,575 in Holmestrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,810 in Holmestrand.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 45% less than in Holmestrand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Holmestrand is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$19.31 NOK 180

-38.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$100 NOK 933

-57.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$13.52 NOK 126

-21.67%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.95 NOK 46.15

-26.87%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$2.03 NOK 18.93

-27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.00 NOK 18.66

-53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$9.17 NOK 85.5

-66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$9.83 NOK 91.6

-54.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.58 NOK 14.72

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.39 NOK 31.64

-44.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.00 NOK 18.65

-18.50%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.01 NOK 37.39

-34.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.97 NOK 102

-25.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$13.81 NOK 129

-39.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$40.56 NOK 378

-72.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.06 NOK 19.17

28.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.27 NOK 21.18

-33.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.15 NOK 29.33

-36.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.44 NOK 22.76

-14.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.83 NOK 7.72

115.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.35 NOK 12.63

61.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.89 NOK 26.95

-62.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.85 NOK 17.21

-43.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$14.38 NOK 134

-72.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$19.42 NOK 181

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.10 NOK 28.91

-44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.92 NOK 36.53

-36.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$4.15 NOK 38.67

-87.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$73.7 NOK 687

-63.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$8.96 NOK 83.5

-64.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.01 NOK 9.45

137.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$99.2 NOK 925

-96.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.09 NOK 19.50

-39.23%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$37.4K NOK 348.2K

-17.33%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.9K NOK 315.5K

-31.14%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$220 NOK 2,046

-62.64%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$43.25 NOK 403

-48.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$37.38 NOK 348

-20.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$49.69 NOK 463

4.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$35.42 NOK 330

-47.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$14.94 NOK 139

-66.73%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$307 NOK 2,858

-35.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$10.1K NOK 94.3K

-47.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$113 NOK 1,051

-67.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.24 NOK 282

32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$100 NOK 934

-20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$133 NOK 1,239

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,216 NOK 11.3K

-20.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$882 NOK 8,222

-47.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,810 NOK 16.9K

-11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,547 NOK 14.4K

-21.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$6,105 NOK 56.9K

-35.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$4,659 NOK 43.4K

38.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$3,752 NOK 35.0K

-80.80%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Holmestrand: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,216 in Holmestrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Holmestrand pays 421% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $100 in Holmestrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $447 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 82% 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.

On paper, Holmestrand earns 421% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,216 in Holmestrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $307 in Holmestrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Holmestrand. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,340 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 $1,287 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 82% less than in Holmestrand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.