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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,619 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,100 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,580 in Lillestrom.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 49% less than in Lillestrom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Lillestrom is 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$21.03 NOK 196

-38.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$121 NOK 1,126

-61.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$11.36 NOK 106

10.83%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$6.24 NOK 58.2

-35.90%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$4.11 NOK 38.42

-65.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$3.21 NOK 30.02

-74.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$12.40 NOK 116

-75.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$10.44 NOK 97.5

-34.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$2.37 NOK 22.15

-27.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$3.69 NOK 34.44

-39.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$4.16 NOK 38.81

-58.65%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$6.00 NOK 56.0

-54.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$13.60 NOK 127

-31.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$14.10 NOK 132

-37.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$28.70 NOK 268

-55.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$3.48 NOK 32.53

-10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.84 NOK 26.49

-45.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$4.33 NOK 40.46

-50.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$5.57 NOK 52.0

-57.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$2.85 NOK 26.65

-29.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$3.63 NOK 33.86

-45.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.81 NOK 16.90

-31.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$2.41 NOK 22.52

-50.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$17.59 NOK 164

-73.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$16.90 NOK 158

-38.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$5.79 NOK 54.1

-72.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$5.71 NOK 53.3

-48.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$4.59 NOK 42.82

-87.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$84.4 NOK 788

-64.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$11.77 NOK 110

-54.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$1.74 NOK 16.27

113.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$61.1 NOK 570

-90.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$2.24 NOK 20.92

-30.80%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$48.9K NOK 457.0K

-54.29%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$49.0K NOK 457.9K

-47.84%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$260 NOK 2,432

-65.71%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$36.14 NOK 337

-35.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$53.2 NOK 497

-40.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$51.0 NOK 477

34.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$36.79 NOK 344

-20.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$17.56 NOK 164

-71.18%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$320 NOK 2,990

-30.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$10.7K NOK 100.3K

-60.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$103 NOK 960

-55.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$53.8 NOK 503

-17.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$120 NOK 1,120

-20.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$160 NOK 1,495

-42.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,292 NOK 12.1K

-17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$987 NOK 9,214

-60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,902 NOK 17.8K

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$1,690 NOK 15.8K

-22.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$6,735 NOK 62.9K

-40.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$3,632 NOK 33.9K

82.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$3,826 NOK 35.7K

-80.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

4.98

132.93%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,292 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 412% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $121 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $504 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 Lillestrom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Lillestrom. 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, salaries run 412% lower in Lillestrom. 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,292 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Playa del Carmen versus $320 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,619 in Lillestrom, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lillestrom. 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 $1,330 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 Lillestrom 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 97% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.