Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tromso

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,272 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
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Tromso Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,272

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,272 in Tromso, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Tromso $3,272

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,928 in Tromso, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Tromso $4,928

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,584 in Tromso, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Tromso $6,584

Playa del Carmen is about 63% cheaper than Tromso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Tromso is 140% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$34.84 NOK 322

-68.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$107 NOK 987

-59.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$16.13 NOK 149

-26.97%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$6.87 NOK 63.5

-44.54%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$5.02 NOK 46.43

-74.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$3.80 NOK 35.12

-79.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$12.79 NOK 118

-75.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$13.94 NOK 129

-64.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$2.61 NOK 24.13

-45.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$3.47 NOK 32.14

-36.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$3.95 NOK 36.57

-64.05%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$5.42 NOK 50.1

-53.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$11.93 NOK 110

-39.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$15.18 NOK 140

-49.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$42.51 NOK 393

-70.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.23 NOK 39.09

-34.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$3.03 NOK 28.04

-54.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$5.42 NOK 50.2

-52.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$6.08 NOK 56.3

-65.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$3.53 NOK 32.65

-45.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$4.89 NOK 45.24

-61.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$2.97 NOK 27.49

-61.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$2.14 NOK 19.77

-44.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$16.48 NOK 152

-73.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$17.78 NOK 165

-44.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$4.04 NOK 37.40

-60.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$4.95 NOK 45.77

-46.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$5.07 NOK 46.91

-89.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$67.8 NOK 627

-60.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$16.35 NOK 151

-69.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.16 NOK 19.99

54.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$57.4 NOK 530

-90.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$2.38 NOK 21.99

-39.50%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$50.0K NOK 462.6K

-58.68%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$44.5K NOK 411.2K

-47.21%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$266 NOK 2,456

-68.07%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$50.7 NOK 469

-53.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$85.0 NOK 786

-66.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$48.89 NOK 452

16.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$48.46 NOK 448

-40.34%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$17.45 NOK 161

-70.54%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$324 NOK 3,000

-36.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$7,850 NOK 72.6K

-49.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$68.8 NOK 636

-36.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$35.13 NOK 325

17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$153 NOK 1,417

-51.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$166 NOK 1,532

-46.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$1,780 NOK 16.5K

-44.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$1,392 NOK 12.9K

-72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$3,215 NOK 29.7K

-46.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$2,341 NOK 21.7K

-54.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$8,342 NOK 77.2K

-52.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$5,634 NOK 52.1K

9.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$4,302 NOK 39.8K

-82.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.01

128.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tromso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Tromso

$1.4K 42.6% 266% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Tromso

$553 16.9% 117% $298

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Tromso

$537 16.4% 165% $334

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Tromso

$401 12.3% 193% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Tromso

$190 5.8% 70.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Tromso

$84 2.6% 24.5% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Tromso

$115 3.5% 128% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,780 in Tromso. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tromso are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $107 in Tromso. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $553 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇴 Tromso

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

02:56 2:56 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

78,908

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.71 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.3 NOK (100 NOK = 9.71 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tromso

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 Tromso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tromso is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,908 in Tromso. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,780 in Tromso.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,272 in Tromso. That makes Playa del Carmen about 63% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 61% 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 $1,204, than in Tromso at $3,272. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tromso 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tromso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.