Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Trondheim

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,999 in Trondheim, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Trondheim, Norway
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Trondheim
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,999
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,999 in Trondheim, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Trondheim $2,999

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,365 in Trondheim, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Trondheim $4,365

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,732 in Trondheim, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Trondheim $5,732

Playa del Carmen is about 60% cheaper than Trondheim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Trondheim is 122% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$21.71 NOK 202
-50.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$109 NOK 1,015
-59.86%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$16.30 NOK 152
-27.67%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$5.78 NOK 53.7
-34.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$5.84 NOK 54.3
-77.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$4.12 NOK 38.28
-79.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$12.92 NOK 120
-75.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$13.07 NOK 122
-62.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$2.51 NOK 23.38
-43.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$3.60 NOK 33.44
-38.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$3.74 NOK 34.77
-60.70%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$5.04 NOK 46.87
-50.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$13.19 NOK 123
-44.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$17.03 NOK 158
-53.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$32.02 NOK 298
-59.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$3.86 NOK 35.87
-24.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$2.96 NOK 27.49
-53.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$3.88 NOK 36.04
-35.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$5.86 NOK 54.5
-65.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$3.01 NOK 28.03
-32.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$3.07 NOK 28.59
-38.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$2.85 NOK 26.53
-60.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$2.28 NOK 21.23
-45.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$18.14 NOK 169
-76.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$18.62 NOK 173
-47.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$3.59 NOK 33.36
-55.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$4.59 NOK 42.66
-40.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
$4.84 NOK 45.05
-89.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
$103 NOK 954
-73.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$9.42 NOK 87.6
-49.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$1.64 NOK 15.26
98.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$61.1 NOK 568
-91.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$2.56 NOK 23.82
-40.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$46.8K NOK 435.2K
-54.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$46.2K NOK 429.8K
-49.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$276 NOK 2,568
-69.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$37.21 NOK 346
-37.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$83.0 NOK 772
-66.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
$45.99 NOK 428
22.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
$41.33 NOK 384
-31.79%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$19.22 NOK 179
-73.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$309 NOK 2,876
-33.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
$4,243 NOK 39.5K
23.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$110 NOK 1,023
-60.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$52.2 NOK 486
-18.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$122 NOK 1,131
-40.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$159 NOK 1,477
-44.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$1,657 NOK 15.4K
-39.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
$1,240 NOK 11.5K
-69.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
$2,326 NOK 21.6K
-28.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$1,789 NOK 16.6K
-39.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
$6,811 NOK 63.4K
-42.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
$5,250 NOK 48.8K
16.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Trondheim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$4,625 NOK 43.0K
-82.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.53
107.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Trondheim: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Trondheim
$1.2K 224% $857
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Trondheim
$517 101% $260
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Trondheim
$422 111% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Trondheim
$396 195% $262
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Trondheim
$199 79.1% $88
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Trondheim
$84 27.1% $18
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Trondheim
$140 177% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,657 in Trondheim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Trondheim are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $109 in Trondheim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $517 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇳🇴 Trondheim
🕒 Local time
07:31 7:31 AM
13:31 1:31 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
215,121
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.3 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.45 NOK (100 NOK = 9.57 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Trondheim 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Trondheim

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 Trondheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Trondheim?
Yes – Trondheim is pricier by about 149%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,498 in Trondheim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,657 in Trondheim.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Trondheim?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,999 in Trondheim. That makes Playa del Carmen about 60% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 73% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Trondheim?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Trondheim at $2,999. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Trondheim it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Trondheim more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Trondheim makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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