Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Steinkjer

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,773 in Steinkjer, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Steinkjer
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Steinkjer Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Steinkjer

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,773 in Steinkjer, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Steinkjer $2,773

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,905 in Steinkjer, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Steinkjer $3,905

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,037 in Steinkjer, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Steinkjer $5,037

Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper than Steinkjer, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Steinkjer is 105% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$20.51 NOK 193

-47.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$58.2 NOK 548

-26.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$13.52 NOK 127

-12.80%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$4.62 NOK 43.52

-16.23%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$5.75 NOK 54.2

-76.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$4.25 NOK 39.99

-80.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$10.33 NOK 97.3

-69.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$6.20 NOK 58.3

-18.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$2.46 NOK 23.13

-41.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$3.46 NOK 32.61

-35.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$3.60 NOK 33.88

-59.17%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$4.95 NOK 46.62

-48.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$12.85 NOK 121

-43.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$16.08 NOK 151

-51.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$28.53 NOK 269

-55.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$3.91 NOK 36.76

-25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$2.93 NOK 27.59

-50.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$3.90 NOK 36.70

-34.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$5.71 NOK 53.8

-63.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$2.89 NOK 27.18

-30.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$3.07 NOK 28.89

-34.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.78 NOK 26.17

-57.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$2.23 NOK 20.96

-43.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$17.67 NOK 166

-75.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$18.14 NOK 171

-47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$3.50 NOK 32.92

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$4.65 NOK 43.77

-39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$4.21 NOK 39.65

-86.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$85.6 NOK 805

-67.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$9.24 NOK 87.0

-46.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$1.61 NOK 15.17

117.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$58.4 NOK 550

-90.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$2.47 NOK 23.27

-40.49%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$45.4K NOK 427.7K

-53.81%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$45.4K NOK 427.8K

-47.39%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$266 NOK 2,505

-68.36%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$35.46 NOK 334

-32.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$81.8 NOK 770

-64.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$54.1 NOK 510

16.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$41.52 NOK 391

-29.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$15.71 NOK 148

-68.56%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$293 NOK 2,763

-30.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$4,447 NOK 41.9K

-11.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$105 NOK 989

-58.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$51.2 NOK 482

-15.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$118 NOK 1,109

-35.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$154 NOK 1,453

-42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$1,200 NOK 11.3K

-15.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$1,133 NOK 10.7K

-66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$2,078 NOK 19.6K

-17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$1,580 NOK 14.9K

-29.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$6,718 NOK 63.2K

-41.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$3,607 NOK 34.0K

71.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.32

115.23%

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 Steinkjer: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Steinkjer

$1.1K 40.9% 203% $759

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Steinkjer

$495 17.9% 91.5% $237

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Steinkjer

$364 13.1% 80.1% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Steinkjer

$383 13.8% 179% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Steinkjer

$193 7% 70.6% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Steinkjer

$86 3.1% 17.4% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Steinkjer

$120 4.3% 128% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,200 in Steinkjer. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $58.0 in Steinkjer. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $495 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Steinkjer

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

18:17 6:17 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

24,066

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 Steinkjer 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Steinkjer

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 Steinkjer: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Steinkjer is pricier by about 129%, 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 $4,160 in Steinkjer. 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 $2,773 in Steinkjer. That's a gap of about 129%.

Public transport costs about 208% 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 Steinkjer at $2,773. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Steinkjer 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, Steinkjer makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.