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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,299 in Porsgrunn, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,541 in Porsgrunn, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,783 in Porsgrunn, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper than Porsgrunn, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Porsgrunn is 72% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$28.55 NOK 275

-58.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$101 NOK 977

-58.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$13.18 NOK 127

-18.44%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$4.95 NOK 47.72

-29.29%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$2.00 NOK 19.27

-27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$2.06 NOK 19.85

-57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$8.98 NOK 86.6

-67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$9.67 NOK 93.3

-53.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$2.05 NOK 19.72

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$3.42 NOK 32.98

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$3.32 NOK 32.04

-52.71%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.47 NOK 23.80

1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$10.29 NOK 99.2

-19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$10.07 NOK 97.1

-16.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$34.84 NOK 336

-69.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.00 NOK 19.29

30.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.67 NOK 16.09

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$2.49 NOK 23.99

-21.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$2.80 NOK 27.01

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.03 NOK 9.91

79.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$2.13 NOK 20.51

1.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$2.35 NOK 22.70

-56.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$1.90 NOK 18.30

-43.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$14.21 NOK 137

-71.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$18.13 NOK 175

-43.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.99 NOK 28.79

-43.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$4.00 NOK 38.59

-36.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$3.37 NOK 32.47

-84.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$72.9 NOK 703

-64.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$10.05 NOK 97.0

-67.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$1.46 NOK 14.04

65.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$99.3 NOK 958

-96.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.99 NOK 19.17

-33.67%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$35.6K NOK 343.5K

-16.63%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$38.6K NOK 371.9K

-38.65%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$220 NOK 2,117

-62.64%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$44.23 NOK 426

-48.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$37.49 NOK 362

-19.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$48.48 NOK 467

7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$35.12 NOK 339

-47.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$14.71 NOK 142

-66.15%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$312 NOK 3,010

-36.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$10.1K NOK 97.0K

-46.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$51.5 NOK 496

-30.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$29.93 NOK 289

34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$69.5 NOK 671

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$103 NOK 994

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$1,228 NOK 11.8K

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$884 NOK 8,529

-46.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$1,856 NOK 17.9K

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$1,516 NOK 14.6K

-20.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.8

200.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Porsgrunn: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,228 in Porsgrunn. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $101 in Porsgrunn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $406 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Porsgrunn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Porsgrunn is pricier by about 83%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,448 in Porsgrunn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen and $2,299 in Porsgrunn. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 180% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Porsgrunn at $2,299. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porsgrunn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Porsgrunn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.