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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,313 in Kristiansand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,591 in Kristiansand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,870 in Kristiansand.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Kristiansand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Kristiansand is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$25.56 NOK 238

-54.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$100 NOK 933

-58.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$13.48 NOK 126

-21.07%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$5.05 NOK 46.98

-30.30%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$2.51 NOK 23.39

-39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$2.15 NOK 19.98

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$9.32 NOK 86.7

-68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$9.91 NOK 92.2

-55.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$2.13 NOK 19.87

-35.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$3.41 NOK 31.75

-44.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$3.20 NOK 29.79

-48.75%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$4.24 NOK 39.45

-40.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$11.44 NOK 107

-27.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$13.94 NOK 130

-40.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$30.99 NOK 288

-65.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$3.57 NOK 33.26

-27.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$2.36 NOK 21.93

-38.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.39 NOK 31.57

-43.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$4.06 NOK 37.79

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.26 NOK 21.02

-21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$2.15 NOK 20.00

1.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$2.85 NOK 26.55

-63.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.91 NOK 17.76

-43.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$14.22 NOK 132

-71.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$16.27 NOK 151

-36.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$3.31 NOK 30.86

-48.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.89 NOK 36.25

-33.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$3.49 NOK 32.46

-85.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$67.5 NOK 628

-60.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$10.28 NOK 95.7

-68.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.44 NOK 13.42

72.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$41.61 NOK 387

-92.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$2.19 NOK 20.42

-40.18%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$36.7K NOK 341.3K

-17.40%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$42.7K NOK 398.0K

-45.19%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$222 NOK 2,070

-62.73%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$30.92 NOK 288

-28.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$38.43 NOK 358

-23.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$41.25 NOK 384

25.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$35.77 NOK 333

-48.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$14.85 NOK 138

-65.86%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$267 NOK 2,485

-24.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$15.0K NOK 139.3K

-65.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$104 NOK 973

-64.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$47.84 NOK 445

-16.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$99.2 NOK 923

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$153 NOK 1,428

-43.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$1,005 NOK 9,356

-3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$890 NOK 8,287

-47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

-8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,384 NOK 12.9K

-11.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$4,911 NOK 45.7K

-19.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$3,546 NOK 33.0K

83.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$4,267 NOK 39.7K

-84.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.38

160.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kristiansand: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,005 in Kristiansand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kristiansand pays 543% 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 $100 in Kristiansand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $450 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 Kristiansand: 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 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kristiansand earns 543% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,005 in Kristiansand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Kristiansand. 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 $100 in Kristiansand. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,313 in Kristiansand, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kristiansand. 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 Kristiansand, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kristiansand 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 78% less than in Kristiansand. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.