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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,274 per month in Porsgrunn vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,550 per month in Porsgrunn vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,827 per month in Porsgrunn vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Porsgrunn costs about 75% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Porsgrunn sits 70% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.72 NOK 267

$11.73 MX$203

144.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 944

$41.62 MX$720

144.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.57 NOK 126

$10.64 MX$184

27.54%

Cappuccino

$4.83 NOK 44.89

$3.52 MX$60.9

37.22%

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

$2.05 NOK 19.06

$1.51 MX$26.12

35.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 NOK 19.10

$0.97 MX$16.84

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.86 NOK 82.3

$2.95 MX$51.0

200.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.68 NOK 89.9

$4.45 MX$77.0

117.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 NOK 19.17

$1.38 MX$23.93

49.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 NOK 31.86

$1.89 MX$32.72

81.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NOK 29.76

$1.64 MX$28.32

95.12%

Eggs

$2.48 NOK 23.02

$2.51 MX$43.34

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 NOK 95.6

$8.34 MX$144

23.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 NOK 94.7

$8.34 MX$144

22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.45 NOK 329

$10.73 MX$186

230.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 NOK 18.67

$2.60 MX$45.04

-22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 NOK 15.36

$1.46 MX$25.20

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.80

$1.90 MX$32.87

28.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 NOK 26.57

$2.08 MX$35.91

37.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 NOK 9.60

$1.78 MX$30.71

-42.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$2.19 MX$37.80

1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 NOK 21.42

$1.04 MX$17.99

122.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NOK 16.98

$1.08 MX$18.62

69.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.31 NOK 133

$4.08 MX$70.6

250.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.06 NOK 177

$10.32 MX$178

84.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 NOK 27.46

$1.71 MX$29.61

73.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 NOK 36.74

$2.58 MX$44.54

53.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 NOK 31.47

$0.51 MX$8.81

564.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 NOK 674

$26.46 MX$458

174.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.3

$3.26 MX$56.4

207.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.51

$2.49 MX$43.09

-41.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$101 NOK 941

$3.25 MX$56.2

3016.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 NOK 18.56

$1.31 MX$22.61

52.67%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

18.15%

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

$38.0K NOK 352.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

62.04%

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

$223 NOK 2,068

$82.9 MX$1,433

168.59%

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

$43.15 NOK 401

$22.22 MX$384

94.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.10 NOK 354

$29.34 MX$507

29.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 NOK 462

$51.6 MX$893

-3.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 NOK 330

$18.32 MX$317

93.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 NOK 137

$5.07 MX$87.6

191.91%

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

$312 NOK 2,898

$201 MX$3,473

55.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K NOK 95.3K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

96.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 NOK 467

$36.92 MX$639

36.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.87 NOK 277

$39.79 MX$688

-24.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 NOK 647

$78.5 MX$1,357

-11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NOK 949

$87.1 MX$1,506

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 NOK 11.3K

$973 MX$16.8K

25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 NOK 8,449

$468 MX$8,090

94.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,840 NOK 17.1K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

12.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 NOK 14.4K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

26.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,571 NOK 33.2K

$664 MX$11.5K

437.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.42

-66.73%

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

Last update for Porsgrunn: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,219 in Porsgrunn versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. 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 438% higher in Porsgrunn, 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 $102 in Porsgrunn versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $249 – 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

Porsgrunn vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Porsgrunn is pricier by about 75%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,410 per month in Porsgrunn and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $2,274 in Porsgrunn and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 174% 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 $1,297, than in Porsgrunn at $2,274. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Porsgrunn 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, Porsgrunn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.