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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,767 in Longyearbyen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,259 in Longyearbyen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,750 in Longyearbyen.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 54% less than in Longyearbyen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Longyearbyen is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$20.43 NOK 192

-43.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$109 NOK 1,028

-56.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$18.13 NOK 171

-34.47%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$7.09 NOK 66.8

-43.86%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$6.01 NOK 56.7

-76.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$5.97 NOK 56.2

-86.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$7.89 NOK 74.3

-59.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$9.34 NOK 88.0

-27.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$2.58 NOK 24.27

-34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$3.79 NOK 35.66

-41.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$4.47 NOK 42.14

-61.74%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$4.97 NOK 46.81

-44.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$14.91 NOK 140

-35.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$20.59 NOK 194

-56.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$30.05 NOK 283

-57.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$6.89 NOK 64.9

-58.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.63 NOK 24.79

-42.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$7.38 NOK 69.5

-70.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$6.86 NOK 64.7

-67.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$5.48 NOK 51.6

-63.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$4.62 NOK 43.54

-56.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$4.53 NOK 42.64

-72.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$3.61 NOK 33.99

-66.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$17.75 NOK 167

-74.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$15.18 NOK 143

-31.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$3.60 NOK 33.94

-55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$4.41 NOK 41.54

-34.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$4.57 NOK 43.09

-86.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$82.5 NOK 777

-65.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$9.48 NOK 89.3

-43.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.91 NOK 18.00

95.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$78.4 NOK 739

-92.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.30 NOK 21.70

-33.04%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$47.6K NOK 448.7K

-52.66%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$38.1K NOK 359.2K

-31.67%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$270 NOK 2,543

-66.14%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$32.58 NOK 307

-22.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$56.5 NOK 533

-44.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$51.3 NOK 483

31.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$38.26 NOK 360

-23.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$19.76 NOK 186

-75.40%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$216 NOK 2,031

3.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$12.9K NOK 121.5K

-67.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$107 NOK 1,010

-56.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$57.7 NOK 543

-23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$127 NOK 1,192

-36.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$162 NOK 1,529

-42.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$1,134 NOK 10.7K

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$1,015 NOK 9,559

-61.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$2,005 NOK 18.9K

7.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,744 NOK 16.4K

-27.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$6,267 NOK 59.0K

-36.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$4,170 NOK 39.3K

55.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$2,990 NOK 28.2K

-74.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.98

129.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Longyearbyen: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $1,134 in Longyearbyen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longyearbyen pays 294% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $109 in Longyearbyen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $598 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 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 294% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,134 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 186% less than in Longyearbyen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $216 in Longyearbyen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,767 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 119% less than in Longyearbyen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.