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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,569 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,883 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Longyearbyen is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$20.49 NOK 195

-42.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$99.7 NOK 950

-57.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$13.77 NOK 131

-23.67%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$6.37 NOK 60.8

-43.64%

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

$1.51 MX$26.13

$3.64 NOK 34.70

-58.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$3.76 NOK 35.82

-75.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$7.18 NOK 68.4

-58.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$9.43 NOK 89.9

-53.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$2.99 NOK 28.55

-53.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$3.29 NOK 31.35

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$3.22 NOK 30.74

-51.55%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$4.90 NOK 46.72

-46.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.46 NOK 99.8

-20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$14.83 NOK 141

-43.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$28.01 NOK 267

-61.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$3.20 NOK 30.53

-15.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$3.04 NOK 29.03

-50.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$3.08 NOK 29.38

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$4.63 NOK 44.14

-52.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$3.20 NOK 30.56

-41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$3.39 NOK 32.32

-34.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.87 NOK 17.86

-42.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$0.62 NOK 5.94

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$15.39 NOK 147

-72.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$14.57 NOK 139

-28.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$3.38 NOK 32.25

-50.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$4.03 NOK 38.44

-35.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$4.28 NOK 40.82

-87.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$72.9 NOK 696

-64.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$10.13 NOK 96.6

-69.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$1.05 NOK 10.01

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$46.72 NOK 446

-93.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$2.03 NOK 19.39

-35.47%

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

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$35.7K NOK 340.8K

-16.58%

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

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$38.4K NOK 365.8K

-39.20%

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

$81.3 MX$1,408

$73.1 NOK 697

11.27%

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

$22.56 MX$391

$38.01 NOK 363

-40.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$48.31 NOK 461

-37.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$49.32 NOK 470

7.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$36.12 NOK 344

-49.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$12.05 NOK 115

-59.17%

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

$201 MX$3,479

$284 NOK 2,709

-29.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$10.3K NOK 98.1K

-49.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$95.9 NOK 915

-62.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$52.2 NOK 498

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$109 NOK 1,039

-26.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$154 NOK 1,465

-43.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$712 NOK 6,794

37.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$898 NOK 8,569

-47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,790 NOK 17.1K

-7.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$1,539 NOK 14.7K

-21.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$5,793 NOK 55.3K

-31.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$3,953 NOK 37.7K

67.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$2,882 NOK 27.5K

-76.53%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $712 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 326% 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 $100 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $440 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 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 326% lower in Longyearbyen. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $712 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 179% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,254 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 79% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.