Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stavanger

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $3,140 in Stavanger, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
153

Cost of Living Index in Stavanger
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Stavanger Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Stavanger

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,140 in Stavanger, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Stavanger $3,140

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,513 in Stavanger, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Stavanger $4,513

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,886 in Stavanger, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Stavanger $5,886

Playa del Carmen is about 61% cheaper than Stavanger, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Stavanger is 134% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$24.58 NOK 235

-55.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$97.3 NOK 929

-53.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$15.95 NOK 152

-25.27%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$6.25 NOK 59.7

-39.20%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$5.41 NOK 51.7

-75.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$4.25 NOK 40.57

-79.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$13.66 NOK 130

-76.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$11.78 NOK 112

-57.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$2.37 NOK 22.61

-38.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$3.47 NOK 33.14

-32.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.83 NOK 36.59

-62.40%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$4.70 NOK 44.87

-47.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$14.36 NOK 137

-46.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$16.81 NOK 161

-53.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$34.43 NOK 329

-62.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$3.42 NOK 32.68

-14.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.72 NOK 26.00

-47.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$3.54 NOK 33.78

-27.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$4.91 NOK 46.90

-56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$2.55 NOK 24.35

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$3.12 NOK 29.79

-37.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.81 NOK 26.81

-59.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$2.34 NOK 22.33

-47.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$17.13 NOK 164

-74.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$18.45 NOK 176

-46.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$3.72 NOK 35.54

-58.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$4.45 NOK 42.52

-38.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$4.76 NOK 45.49

-89.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$87.0 NOK 831

-68.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$6.09 NOK 58.2

-19.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$1.75 NOK 16.69

101.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$103 NOK 981

-94.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.36 NOK 22.50

-34.75%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$47.3K NOK 451.6K

-55.09%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$40.4K NOK 386.0K

-39.41%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$245 NOK 2,337

-65.83%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$35.29 NOK 337

-31.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$81.6 NOK 779

-64.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$50.3 NOK 480

28.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$36.81 NOK 352

-19.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$22.03 NOK 210

-76.90%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$322 NOK 3,080

-35.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$14.1K NOK 134.4K

-71.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$127 NOK 1,212

-64.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$60.1 NOK 574

-29.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$153 NOK 1,459

-50.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$204 NOK 1,948

-55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,658 NOK 15.8K

-40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$1,380 NOK 13.2K

-72.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,766 NOK 26.4K

-38.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,016 NOK 19.3K

-45.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$6,196 NOK 59.2K

-35.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$5,307 NOK 50.7K

17.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$4,951 NOK 47.3K

-84.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.27

117.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Stavanger: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Stavanger

$1.4K 43.6% 258% $995

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Stavanger

$513 16.2% 97% $252

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Stavanger

$450 14.2% 121% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Stavanger

$362 11.4% 164% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Stavanger

$245 7.7% 115% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Stavanger

$94 3% 25.7% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Stavanger

$121 3.8% 132% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,658 in Stavanger. 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 553% higher in Stavanger, 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $97.0 in Stavanger. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $513 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Stavanger

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

12:33 12:33 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

149,330

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

100 NOK = 10.47 USD

100 NOK = 9.34 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.55 NOK (1 NOK = 0.105 USD). 1 EUR = 10.7 NOK (100 NOK = 9.34 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Stavanger 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Stavanger

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 Stavanger: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stavanger is pricier by about 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,710 in Stavanger. 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $3,140 in Stavanger. That's a gap of about 158%.

Public transport costs about 217% 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 $1,215, than in Stavanger at $3,140. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger 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, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.