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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,257 in Larvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,378 in Larvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,498 in Larvik.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Larvik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Larvik is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$28.92 NOK 269

-59.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$99.4 NOK 925

-57.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$13.21 NOK 123

-21.27%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$5.00 NOK 46.47

-27.80%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$2.53 NOK 23.55

-41.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$2.22 NOK 20.68

-59.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$9.33 NOK 86.8

-67.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$9.81 NOK 91.2

-54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$2.09 NOK 19.40

-33.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$3.31 NOK 30.74

-44.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.55 NOK 14.45

3.87%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$3.56 NOK 33.09

-27.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$11.55 NOK 107

-26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$14.22 NOK 132

-40.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$30.85 NOK 287

-64.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$3.07 NOK 28.56

-11.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$2.26 NOK 21.03

-33.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$2.48 NOK 23.06

-20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$4.19 NOK 38.99

-49.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$2.29 NOK 21.34

-18.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$2.15 NOK 20.03

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$2.52 NOK 23.39

-57.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$1.56 NOK 14.51

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$14.32 NOK 133

-70.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$17.99 NOK 167

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$3.30 NOK 30.67

-49.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$4.08 NOK 37.92

-38.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$4.17 NOK 38.78

-87.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$60.8 NOK 565

-56.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$8.94 NOK 83.2

-65.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$1.32 NOK 12.24

86.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$102 NOK 952

-96.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$2.13 NOK 19.77

-40.85%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$41.1K NOK 382.6K

-26.67%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$50.7K NOK 471.7K

-53.78%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$222 NOK 2,060

-62.08%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$20.38 NOK 190

8.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$37.61 NOK 350

-21.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$51.0 NOK 474

3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$39.79 NOK 370

-53.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$15.22 NOK 142

-67.48%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$150 NOK 1,397

32.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$10.0K NOK 93.1K

-46.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$72.2 NOK 671

-50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$47.26 NOK 440

-15.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$99.4 NOK 924

-20.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$121 NOK 1,125

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$1,216 NOK 11.3K

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$800 NOK 7,437

-41.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$1,391 NOK 12.9K

14.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$1,129 NOK 10.5K

7.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$6,113 NOK 56.9K

-34.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$4,624 NOK 43.0K

42.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$3,272 NOK 30.4K

-78.17%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Larvik: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $1,216 in Larvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Larvik pays 358% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $99 in Larvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $433 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 Larvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Larvik. 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, Larvik earns 358% 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,216 in Larvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 131% less than in Larvik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $150 in Larvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,257 in Larvik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Larvik. 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 $1,261 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 Larvik 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 79% less than in Larvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.