Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sandefjord

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,549 in Sandefjord, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Sandefjord
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Sandefjord Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Sandefjord

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,549

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,549 in Sandefjord, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Sandefjord $2,549

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,748 in Sandefjord, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Sandefjord $3,748

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,948 in Sandefjord, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Sandefjord $4,948

Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper than Sandefjord, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Sandefjord is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$20.53 NOK 193

-47.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$125 NOK 1,179

-65.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$15.78 NOK 149

-25.29%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$5.68 NOK 53.4

-31.87%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$4.17 NOK 39.30

-67.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$2.15 NOK 20.19

-60.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$10.05 NOK 94.6

-69.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$10.31 NOK 97.1

-50.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$2.12 NOK 19.97

-32.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$2.57 NOK 24.18

-13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$4.14 NOK 38.93

-64.49%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$4.08 NOK 38.44

-37.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$14.78 NOK 139

-50.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$15.66 NOK 147

-49.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$30.89 NOK 291

-58.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$2.15 NOK 20.27

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$2.68 NOK 25.27

-46.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$2.18 NOK 20.56

16.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.85 NOK 26.80

-27.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.12 NOK 10.50

78.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$2.68 NOK 25.26

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$3.09 NOK 29.09

-61.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$2.38 NOK 22.36

-47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$15.81 NOK 149

-72.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$13.05 NOK 123

-26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$3.53 NOK 33.21

-54.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$4.14 NOK 39.00

-32.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$5.10 NOK 47.96

-88.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$66.5 NOK 626

-58.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$11.71 NOK 110

-57.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.78 NOK 16.76

96.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$48.90 NOK 460

-88.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$2.25 NOK 21.22

-34.67%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$47.4K NOK 446.0K

-55.70%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$41.6K NOK 391.8K

-42.56%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$264 NOK 2,487

-68.12%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$33.62 NOK 317

-28.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$54.0 NOK 508

-46.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$50.5 NOK 475

24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$56.9 NOK 535

-48.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$15.54 NOK 146

-68.21%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$232 NOK 2,186

-12.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$4,887 NOK 46.0K

-19.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$101 NOK 949

-56.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$44.41 NOK 418

-2.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$80.0 NOK 753

-5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$153 NOK 1,443

-42.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$1,213 NOK 11.4K

-16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$1,015 NOK 9,556

-63.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$1,539 NOK 14.5K

10.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$1,339 NOK 12.6K

-17.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$6,273 NOK 59.1K

-37.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$3,696 NOK 34.8K

66.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$3,976 NOK 37.4K

-81.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.38

161.42%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sandefjord: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Sandefjord

$1K 39.8% 171% $641

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Sandefjord

$447 17.5% 72.8% $188

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Sandefjord

$376 14.8% 85.8% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Sandefjord

$352 13.8% 156% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sandefjord

$170 6.7% 50.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Sandefjord

$82 3.2% 11.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Sandefjord

$107 4.2% 104% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,213 in Sandefjord. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 427% higher in Sandefjord, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $125 in Sandefjord. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $447 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Sandefjord

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

00:52 12:52 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

66,366

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sandefjord 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sandefjord

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 Sandefjord: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sandefjord is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,823 in Sandefjord. 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 $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $2,549 in Sandefjord. That's a gap of about 111%.

Public transport costs about 139% 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 $1,210, than in Sandefjord at $2,549. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sandefjord 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, Sandefjord makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.