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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,547 in Lillestrom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,020 in Lillestrom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,492 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 4% below, Lillestrom is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$20.59 NOK 192

-42.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$102 NOK 949

-58.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$10.95 NOK 102

-3.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$5.07 NOK 47.26

-28.60%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$2.55 NOK 23.77

-42.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.12 NOK 19.73

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$8.91 NOK 83.0

-65.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$10.11 NOK 94.2

-55.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.11 NOK 19.63

-32.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.32 NOK 30.92

-43.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$3.30 NOK 30.77

-50.61%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.22 NOK 39.32

-37.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.35 NOK 106

-27.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$13.81 NOK 129

-39.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$24.70 NOK 230

-55.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.11 NOK 29.00

-14.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.35 NOK 21.93

-36.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.36 NOK 31.30

-40.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.18 NOK 39.00

-50.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.20 NOK 20.46

-18.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.22 NOK 20.66

-1.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.97 NOK 18.39

-45.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.89 NOK 17.57

-44.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$14.45 NOK 135

-72.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$17.20 NOK 160

-40.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.21 NOK 29.92

-46.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$4.02 NOK 37.47

-37.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$4.35 NOK 40.58

-88.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$73.2 NOK 682

-63.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$5.14 NOK 47.93

-38.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.40 NOK 13.05

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$61.9 NOK 577

-95.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.17 NOK 20.22

-41.47%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.4K NOK 329.9K

-12.76%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.8K NOK 277.5K

-21.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$61.6 NOK 574

33.13%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$43.51 NOK 405

-48.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$37.76 NOK 352

-21.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$70.8 NOK 659

-26.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$18.06 NOK 168

3.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$14.69 NOK 137

-66.17%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$240 NOK 2,234

-17.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,135 NOK 38.5K

27.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$95.3 NOK 888

-61.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$46.68 NOK 435

-14.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$100 NOK 934

-20.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$176 NOK 1,638

-49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,196 NOK 11.1K

-19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$1,230 NOK 11.5K

-62.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$2,544 NOK 23.7K

-37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$2,182 NOK 20.3K

-44.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$5,986 NOK 55.8K

-34.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$4,645 NOK 43.3K

38.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$3,898 NOK 36.3K

-81.52%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Lillestrom: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lillestrom pays 441% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $102 in Lillestrom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $426 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 98% 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, Lillestrom earns 441% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,196 in Lillestrom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $240 in Lillestrom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Lillestrom. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,547 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 $1,287 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 98% less than in Lillestrom. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.