Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Norsup

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,399 in Norsup, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Norsup outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Norsup

🇻🇺 Vanuatu

$3,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Norsup actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,399 in Norsup.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Norsup $3,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,246 in Norsup.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Norsup $2,246

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,093 in Norsup.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Norsup $1,093

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 65% less than in Norsup, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Norsup is 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$4.28 VUV 499

-67.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$4.19 VUV 488

-47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$4.15 VUV 484

-65.78%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$5.13 VUV 598

-50.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$12.54 VUV 1,462

-42.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$8.66 VUV 1,009

-11.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$15.04 VUV 1,753

-15.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.33 VUV 505

-35.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$4.20 VUV 490

-67.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$4.20 VUV 490

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$4.27 VUV 498

-50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$4.33 VUV 505

-55.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$4.29 VUV 500

-55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$4.14 VUV 482

-72.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$4.26 VUV 496

-72.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$16.76 VUV 1,953

-74.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$16.84 VUV 1,962

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$4.12 VUV 480

-61.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$4.13 VUV 482

-35.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

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

$23.41 MX$440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$2,914 VUV 339.7K

-86.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$298 VUV 34.8K

146.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Norsup: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Norsup

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Norsup

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Norsup

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Norsup

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Norsup

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Norsup

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Norsup

–

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇻🇺 Norsup

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

16 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,200

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Vanuatu Vatu VUV Vt

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 VUV = 8.58 USD

1,000 VUV = 7.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VUV, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Vanuatu Vatu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 117 VUV (1,000 VUV = 8.58 USD). 1 EUR = 130 VUV (1,000 VUV = 7.68 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Norsup 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Norsup

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 Norsup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Norsup. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 2.5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Norsup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $3,399 in Norsup – Playa del Carmen is about 65% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,399 in Norsup, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Norsup. 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.