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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,406 in Mo i Rana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,701 in Mo i Rana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,997 in Mo i Rana.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% 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 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$25.41 NOK 244

-53.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$99.4 NOK 954

-57.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$13.56 NOK 130

-22.49%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$5.06 NOK 48.58

-29.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$3.11 NOK 29.86

-51.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$2.92 NOK 28.02

-68.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$10.19 NOK 97.8

-70.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$9.87 NOK 94.7

-55.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$2.00 NOK 19.15

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$3.40 NOK 32.60

-44.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$3.32 NOK 31.83

-53.01%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$4.22 NOK 40.51

-38.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$11.86 NOK 114

-29.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$14.69 NOK 141

-43.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$28.96 NOK 278

-62.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$3.54 NOK 34.00

-23.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.49 NOK 23.93

-39.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$3.41 NOK 32.71

-45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$4.54 NOK 43.58

-51.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$2.50 NOK 23.95

-25.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$2.51 NOK 24.07

-11.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$2.73 NOK 26.20

-60.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.82 NOK 17.41

-40.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$15.32 NOK 147

-72.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$17.25 NOK 165

-39.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$3.37 NOK 32.36

-50.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$4.09 NOK 39.19

-36.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$4.32 NOK 41.45

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$72.3 NOK 694

-63.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$10.25 NOK 98.3

-69.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.40 NOK 13.40

71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$47.22 NOK 453

-93.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$2.68 NOK 25.72

-51.12%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$35.2K NOK 337.8K

-15.36%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$38.4K NOK 368.0K

-39.21%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$238 NOK 2,284

-65.87%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$39.08 NOK 375

-42.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$54.7 NOK 524

-45.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$49.98 NOK 479

5.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$36.07 NOK 346

-49.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$16.47 NOK 158

-70.13%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$285 NOK 2,735

-29.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$10.2K NOK 98.1K

-49.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$95.8 NOK 919

-62.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$52.4 NOK 502

-23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$109 NOK 1,045

-26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$153 NOK 1,471

-43.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$1,204 NOK 11.5K

-18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$910 NOK 8,729

-48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$1,803 NOK 17.3K

-8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$1,541 NOK 14.8K

-21.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$5,874 NOK 56.3K

-32.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$3,703 NOK 35.5K

78.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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 Mo i Rana: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,204 in Mo i Rana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $99.0 in Mo i Rana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $454 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $3,608 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,204 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 176% less than in Mo i Rana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $285 in Mo i Rana. 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 $2,406 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 91% less than in Mo i Rana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.