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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,219 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,482 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,744 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Longyearbyen is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$19.81 NOK 185

-39.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$100 NOK 933

-57.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$13.40 NOK 125

-20.97%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$6.42 NOK 59.9

-43.61%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$3.71 NOK 34.61

-60.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$3.86 NOK 36.01

-75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$7.05 NOK 65.7

-56.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$9.87 NOK 92.0

-54.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.00 NOK 27.92

-52.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.33 NOK 31.00

-43.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$3.28 NOK 30.60

-50.30%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.87 NOK 45.40

-45.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.39 NOK 96.9

-20.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.82 NOK 138

-44.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$28.45 NOK 265

-60.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.19 NOK 29.73

-16.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$3.10 NOK 28.86

-51.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.11 NOK 29.03

-36.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.56 NOK 42.51

-54.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$3.15 NOK 29.31

-43.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$3.34 NOK 31.11

-34.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.93 NOK 17.98

-44.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.67 NOK 6.22

55.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$15.30 NOK 143

-74.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$14.86 NOK 139

-31.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.31 NOK 30.86

-47.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$4.10 NOK 38.21

-39.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$4.14 NOK 38.60

-87.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$72.5 NOK 676

-62.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$9.95 NOK 92.7

-68.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.02 NOK 9.50

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$46.01 NOK 429

-93.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.03 NOK 18.90

-37.44%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$36.0K NOK 335.1K

-14.11%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$39.1K NOK 364.9K

-40.45%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$75.6 NOK 705

8.44%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$38.43 NOK 358

-41.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$49.69 NOK 463

-40.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$50.2 NOK 468

3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$35.81 NOK 334

-47.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$12.24 NOK 114

-59.40%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$280 NOK 2,614

-29.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$10.3K NOK 96.1K

-48.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$94.8 NOK 884

-61.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$51.5 NOK 480

-22.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$108 NOK 1,011

-26.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$150 NOK 1,400

-40.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$700 NOK 6,522

37.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$877 NOK 8,174

-47.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,792 NOK 16.7K

-10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,565 NOK 14.6K

-22.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$6,155 NOK 57.4K

-35.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$4,534 NOK 42.3K

42.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$2,636 NOK 24.6K

-72.67%

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 Longyearbyen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $700 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 266% 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 $100 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $443 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 Longyearbyen: 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 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Longyearbyen earns 266% 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 $700 in Longyearbyen. 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 169% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,219 in Longyearbyen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Longyearbyen. 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 Longyearbyen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Longyearbyen 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 72% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.