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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,410 in Molde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,669 in Molde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,929 in Molde.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 47% less than in Molde, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Molde is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$25.59 NOK 243

-53.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$79.4 NOK 754

-45.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$13.54 NOK 129

-21.34%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$5.18 NOK 49.13

-33.40%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.88 NOK 27.32

-47.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$2.66 NOK 25.26

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$9.06 NOK 86.0

-66.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$9.96 NOK 94.6

-53.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.20 NOK 20.87

-37.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.01 NOK 28.58

-38.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$3.87 NOK 36.76

-58.40%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$3.09 NOK 29.28

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.05 NOK 85.9

-8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$16.79 NOK 159

-50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$27.72 NOK 263

-61.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.50 NOK 23.75

5.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$3.06 NOK 29.03

-51.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.38 NOK 32.13

-43.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$5.55 NOK 52.6

-62.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.53 NOK 14.56

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.29 NOK 21.70

-1.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.58 NOK 24.46

-58.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.84 NOK 17.51

-40.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$18.27 NOK 173

-77.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.17 NOK 173

-42.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.91 NOK 27.65

-40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$4.01 NOK 38.06

-34.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$4.31 NOK 40.89

-87.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$82.8 NOK 786

-67.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$10.18 NOK 96.6

-69.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.38 NOK 13.10

81.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$47.05 NOK 447

-93.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.24 NOK 21.31

-43.30%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$35.9K NOK 340.5K

-15.33%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$39.0K NOK 370.5K

-39.63%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$241 NOK 2,291

-65.62%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$37.92 NOK 360

-40.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$54.6 NOK 518

-46.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$50.0 NOK 475

2.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$35.26 NOK 335

-48.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$16.69 NOK 158

-70.46%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$200 NOK 1,901

-1.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$10.3K NOK 97.5K

-48.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$97.7 NOK 927

-62.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$52.3 NOK 497

-23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$102 NOK 964

-21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$151 NOK 1,434

-40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,174 NOK 11.1K

-18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$903 NOK 8,574

-47.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,439 NOK 13.7K

14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,456 NOK 13.8K

-15.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$6,190 NOK 58.8K

-36.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$4,482 NOK 42.5K

44.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$3,624 NOK 34.4K

-81.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.75

204.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Molde: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,174 in Molde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Molde pays 443% 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 $79.0 in Molde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $447 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 Molde: 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 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Molde earns 443% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,174 in Molde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $200 in Molde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Molde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,410 in Molde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Molde. 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 Molde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Molde 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 90% less than in Molde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.