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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,423 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,736 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,050 in Stokmarknes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 47% cheaper than Stokmarknes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Playa del Carmen sits 4% below the global median, while Stokmarknes is 81% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$25.40 NOK 237

-52.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$101 NOK 942

-57.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$13.86 NOK 129

-23.59%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$5.03 NOK 46.87

-28.03%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$3.13 NOK 29.13

-53.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.85 NOK 26.53

-67.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$10.00 NOK 93.2

-69.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$9.40 NOK 87.6

-52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.20 NOK 20.49

-35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$3.43 NOK 31.98

-45.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$3.28 NOK 30.61

-50.30%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.31 NOK 40.13

-38.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.01 NOK 112

-31.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$14.95 NOK 139

-44.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$28.35 NOK 264

-60.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.58 NOK 33.41

-25.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.40 NOK 22.33

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$3.41 NOK 31.82

-41.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.37 NOK 40.75

-52.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.45 NOK 22.85

-26.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.56 NOK 23.89

-14.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.74 NOK 25.56

-60.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.89 NOK 17.61

-44.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$15.02 NOK 140

-73.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$18.17 NOK 169

-43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.27 NOK 30.48

-47.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$4.09 NOK 38.10

-38.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$4.18 NOK 38.92

-87.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$72.6 NOK 677

-62.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$10.26 NOK 95.6

-69.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.46 NOK 13.63

64.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$47.45 NOK 442

-93.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.17 NOK 20.24

-41.47%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$35.7K NOK 332.3K

-13.38%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$38.4K NOK 357.9K

-39.28%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$238 NOK 2,217

-65.52%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$38.25 NOK 357

-41.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$55.8 NOK 520

-46.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$50.1 NOK 467

3.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$35.97 NOK 335

-48.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$16.33 NOK 152

-69.57%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$282 NOK 2,632

-29.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$10.3K NOK 95.6K

-48.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$97.8 NOK 911

-62.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$51.9 NOK 484

-22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$108 NOK 1,004

-25.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$149 NOK 1,390

-40.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,197 NOK 11.2K

-19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$893 NOK 8,325

-47.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,856 NOK 17.3K

-14.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,554 NOK 14.5K

-22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$6,817 NOK 63.5K

-42.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$4,865 NOK 45.3K

32.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.38

160.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Stokmarknes: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,197 in Stokmarknes. 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 $101 in Stokmarknes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $457 – 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 Stokmarknes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stokmarknes is pricier by about 88%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,634 in Stokmarknes. 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $2,423 in Stokmarknes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 169% 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 $1,287, than in Stokmarknes at $2,423. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stokmarknes 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.

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