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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,220 in Larvik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,399 in Larvik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,578 in Larvik.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Larvik, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Larvik is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$205

$29.15 NOK 276

-59.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$727

$101 NOK 956

-58.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$186

$13.30 NOK 126

-20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.5

$4.82 NOK 45.56

-26.97%

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

$1.51 MX$26.37

$2.43 NOK 22.98

-37.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.00

$2.16 NOK 20.40

-55.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.5

$9.37 NOK 88.6

-68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.8

$9.68 NOK 91.5

-54.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.16

$2.18 NOK 20.58

-36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$33.04

$3.30 NOK 31.17

-42.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.59

$1.49 NOK 14.06

10.07%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.76

$3.67 NOK 34.67

-31.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$11.20 NOK 106

-25.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$146

$14.15 NOK 134

-41.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$187

$29.94 NOK 283

-64.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.48

$3.12 NOK 29.53

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.45

$2.31 NOK 21.81

-36.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.19

$2.55 NOK 24.08

-25.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.26

$4.20 NOK 39.73

-50.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.01

$2.21 NOK 20.94

-19.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.16

$2.22 NOK 21.02

-1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.16

$2.59 NOK 24.45

-59.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.80

$1.53 NOK 14.49

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.3

$14.00 NOK 132

-70.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$180

$18.26 NOK 173

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.90

$3.21 NOK 30.33

-46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.98

$3.90 NOK 36.91

-33.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$4.30 NOK 40.69

-88.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$462

$61.3 NOK 580

-56.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$57.0

$9.24 NOK 87.3

-64.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.51

$1.35 NOK 12.72

84.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.7

$99.4 NOK 939

-96.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$2.16 NOK 20.44

-39.35%

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

$30.3K MX$528.8K

$41.2K NOK 389.9K

-26.59%

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

$23.4K MX$409.2K

$50.4K NOK 476.7K

-53.54%

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

$82.9 MX$1,447

$216 NOK 2,041

-61.61%

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

$22.22 MX$388

$19.87 NOK 188

11.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$512

$37.58 NOK 355

-21.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$902

$50.2 NOK 475

2.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

$41.21 NOK 390

-55.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$88.5

$15.11 NOK 143

-66.45%

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

$201 MX$3,507

$149 NOK 1,409

34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$91.0K

$10.1K NOK 95.6K

-48.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$645

$69.7 NOK 659

-47.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$695

$46.36 NOK 438

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,370

$101 NOK 957

-22.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,521

$122 NOK 1,158

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$17.0K

$1,221 NOK 11.5K

-20.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,169

$814 NOK 7,695

-42.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.7K

$1,376 NOK 13.0K

19.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.3K

$1,125 NOK 10.6K

8.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.9K

$5,915 NOK 55.9K

-33.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

$4,422 NOK 41.8K

46.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

$3,386 NOK 32.0K

-80.39%

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 Larvik: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,221 in Larvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Larvik pays 410% 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 $101 in Larvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $430 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 71% 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 410% 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 $1,221 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 132% less than in Larvik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $149 in Larvik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,220 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 $1,297 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 71% less than in Larvik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.