Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Narvik

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,530 in Narvik, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Narvik
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Narvik Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Narvik

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Narvik

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Narvik actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,530 in Narvik.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Narvik $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,868 in Narvik.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Narvik $3,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,205 in Narvik.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Narvik $5,205

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 52% less than in Narvik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Narvik is 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$32.33 NOK 297

-66.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$96.1 NOK 883

-54.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$16.33 NOK 150

-27.86%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$4.91 NOK 45.08

-22.40%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$3.00 NOK 27.53

-57.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$2.87 NOK 26.36

-72.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$11.76 NOK 108

-73.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$12.36 NOK 114

-60.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$2.59 NOK 23.83

-45.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.34 NOK 30.65

-33.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.71 NOK 24.89

-47.60%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$5.24 NOK 48.17

-51.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$12.24 NOK 113

-40.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$14.93 NOK 137

-48.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$23.20 NOK 213

-45.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.01 NOK 36.89

-30.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$2.20 NOK 20.19

-37.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$4.86 NOK 44.62

-47.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$4.49 NOK 41.21

-52.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$2.65 NOK 24.38

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$5.00 NOK 45.92

-62.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$2.97 NOK 27.31

-61.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$2.13 NOK 19.57

-44.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$16.63 NOK 153

-74.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$17.47 NOK 160

-43.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$3.52 NOK 32.30

-55.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.84 NOK 35.27

-30.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$4.66 NOK 42.84

-88.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$92.8 NOK 852

-71.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$16.25 NOK 149

-69.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$2.19 NOK 20.10

52.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$54.6 NOK 501

-90.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$2.43 NOK 22.35

-40.74%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$41.5K NOK 381.2K

-50.19%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$38.0K NOK 348.9K

-38.22%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$267 NOK 2,451

-68.22%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$50.6 NOK 465

-53.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$86.3 NOK 793

-66.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$56.6 NOK 520

0.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$26.50 NOK 243

9.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$18.00 NOK 165

-71.44%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$317 NOK 2,908

-34.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$7,842 NOK 72.0K

-49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$128 NOK 1,173

-66.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$35.69 NOK 328

16.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$143 NOK 1,315

-48.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$170 NOK 1,565

-47.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$942 NOK 8,659

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$745 NOK 6,841

-48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,668 NOK 15.3K

2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,264 NOK 11.6K

-14.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$5,411 NOK 49.7K

-27.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$4,898 NOK 45.0K

25.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,630 NOK 33.4K

-79.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.01

128.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Narvik: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Narvik

$745 29.4% 95.5% $364

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Narvik

$463 18.3% 81.7% $208

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Narvik

$474 18.7% 134% $271

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Narvik

$404 16% 195% $267

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Narvik

$215 8.5% 92.1% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Narvik

$93 3.7% 37.6% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Narvik

$139 5.5% 175% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $942 in Narvik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Narvik pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $96 in Narvik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $463 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Narvik

🕒 Local time

03:43 3:43 AM

09:43 9:43 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

14,183

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 NOK = 10.88 USD

100 NOK = 9.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.19 NOK (1 NOK = 0.109 USD). 1 EUR = 10.26 NOK (100 NOK = 9.75 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Narvik 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Narvik

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Narvik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $942 in Narvik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,530 in Narvik – Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 71% less than in Narvik. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,530 in Narvik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Narvik. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Narvik on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.