Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Horten

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,702 in Horten, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Horten
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Horten Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Horten

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Horten

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Horten actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,702 in Horten, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Horten $2,702

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,828 in Horten, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Horten $3,828

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,954 in Horten, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Horten $4,954

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper than Horten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Horten is 99% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$21.23 NOK 197

-48.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$813

$127 NOK 1,174

-65.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$16.02 NOK 149

-26.47%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.4

$6.12 NOK 56.7

-37.75%

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

$1.28 MX$24.03

$3.00 NOK 27.82

-57.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.67

$3.19 NOK 29.56

-75.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.3

$11.94 NOK 111

-73.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.5

$12.77 NOK 118

-61.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$2.39 NOK 22.13

-41.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.54

$3.65 NOK 33.82

-39.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.56

$4.14 NOK 38.36

-65.70%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.27

$5.30 NOK 49.10

-52.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$7.97 NOK 73.9

-8.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$15.72 NOK 146

-51.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$12.10 NOK 112

4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.2

$3.33 NOK 30.90

-16.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.64

$2.70 NOK 25.03

-49.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.80

$3.52 NOK 32.66

-27.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.78

$5.87 NOK 54.4

-63.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.32

$2.80 NOK 25.99

-30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.34

$2.90 NOK 26.88

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.49

$2.20 NOK 20.37

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.09

$2.43 NOK 22.48

-51.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

$19.01 NOK 176

-77.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

$16.87 NOK 156

-41.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.67

$3.51 NOK 32.53

-54.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$4.27 NOK 39.60

-37.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.37

$4.94 NOK 45.82

-88.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

$89.6 NOK 831

-70.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.1

$12.29 NOK 114

-59.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.4

$1.91 NOK 17.69

74.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

$70.1 NOK 649

-92.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

$2.45 NOK 22.71

-41.22%

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

$48.4K NOK 448.8K

-57.32%

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

$45.2K NOK 419.3K

-48.13%

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

$430 NOK 3,984

-80.27%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$34.72 NOK 322

-32.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$537

$53.8 NOK 499

-46.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,069

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.3

$20.50 NOK 190

-74.93%

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

$207 MX$3,871

$130 NOK 1,205

58.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

$15.8K NOK 146.4K

-75.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$812

$105 NOK 973

-58.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$777

$42.84 NOK 397

-3.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,390

$58.3 NOK 540

27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,672

$158 NOK 1,469

-43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,133 NOK 10.5K

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,136

$1,021 NOK 9,466

-62.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.0K

$1,810 NOK 16.8K

-5.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

$1,292 NOK 12.0K

-16.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.94

131.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Horten: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Horten

$1K 37.8% 168% $641

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Horten

$425 15.7% 66.9% $170

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Horten

$401 14.9% 98.3% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Horten

$518 19.2% 279% $382

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Horten

$164 6.1% 46.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Horten

$41 * 1.5% 39.1% $26

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Horten

$131 4.9% 160% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,133 in Horten. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $127 in Horten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $425 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Horten

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

18:36 6:36 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

28,001

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 NOK = 10.79 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.27 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Horten 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Horten

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Horten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,702 in Horten – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 55% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,054 in Horten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,133 in Horten.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,702 in Horten. That makes Playa del Carmen about 55% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Horten at $2,702. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Horten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,702 in Horten. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.