Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mo i Rana Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mo i Rana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,643 in Mo i Rana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,941 in Mo i Rana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,240 in Mo i Rana.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 51% less than in Mo i Rana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Mo i Rana is 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$15.80 NOK 147

-24.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$73.7 NOK 684

-35.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$16.24 NOK 151

-27.65%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$5.08 NOK 47.12

-18.90%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.66 NOK 24.70

-47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.72 NOK 15.93

-47.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$11.87 NOK 110

-72.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$10.55 NOK 97.9

-32.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.43 NOK 22.54

-30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$4.36 NOK 40.45

-50.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$3.81 NOK 35.30

-53.54%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$4.96 NOK 46.02

-43.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$14.28 NOK 132

-35.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$18.55 NOK 172

-50.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$30.66 NOK 284

-58.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.43 NOK 31.81

-13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.87 NOK 26.61

-44.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.45 NOK 32.04

-35.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$5.20 NOK 48.23

-54.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.90 NOK 26.87

-31.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$3.01 NOK 27.89

-34.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.97 NOK 27.53

-58.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$2.41 NOK 22.34

-49.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$18.07 NOK 168

-74.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$16.66 NOK 155

-36.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$3.48 NOK 32.30

-51.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$4.29 NOK 39.81

-35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$4.70 NOK 43.58

-87.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$84.2 NOK 781

-64.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$12.44 NOK 115

-57.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.83 NOK 16.94

99.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$71.0 NOK 659

-91.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.38 NOK 22.04

-35.29%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$49.1K NOK 455.1K

-53.52%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$43.6K NOK 404.5K

-40.80%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$279 NOK 2,590

-67.53%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$32.63 NOK 303

-22.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$57.0 NOK 529

-44.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$49.77 NOK 462

38.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$37.94 NOK 352

-22.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$17.80 NOK 165

-72.70%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$250 NOK 2,320

-9.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$12.3K NOK 114.5K

-66.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$101 NOK 940

-53.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$56.8 NOK 527

-23.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$127 NOK 1,179

-36.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$162 NOK 1,502

-43.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,216 NOK 11.3K

-10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$1,022 NOK 9,483

-60.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$2,078 NOK 19.3K

-5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,711 NOK 15.9K

-25.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$6,366 NOK 59.1K

-36.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$4,249 NOK 39.4K

57.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.96

130.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mo i Rana: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,216 in Mo i Rana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $74.0 in Mo i Rana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $519 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 Mo i Rana: 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 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $3,964 in Mo i Rana to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,216 in Mo i Rana. 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 184% less than in Mo i Rana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $250 in Mo i Rana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,643 in Mo i Rana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mo i Rana. 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 Mo i Rana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Mo i Rana 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 102% less than in Mo i Rana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.