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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,496 per month in Sarpsborg vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,763 per month in Sarpsborg vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,030 per month in Sarpsborg vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sarpsborg costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sarpsborg sits 86% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$38.11 NOK 354

$11.67 MX$202

226.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 NOK 885

$41.88 MX$726

127.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.27 NOK 170

$10.40 MX$180

75.67%

Cappuccino

$5.25 NOK 48.85

$3.61 MX$62.6

45.43%

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

$2.74 NOK 25.44

$1.47 MX$25.45

86.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NOK 23.79

$0.91 MX$15.80

181.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NOK 58.1

$3.03 MX$52.6

105.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 NOK 73.4

$4.47 MX$77.4

76.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 NOK 20.61

$1.38 MX$23.83

60.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 30.50

$1.84 MX$31.93

78.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 NOK 30.86

$1.61 MX$27.82

106.21%

Eggs

$4.43 NOK 41.21

$2.57 MX$44.52

72.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 NOK 113

$8.49 MX$147

42.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 NOK 139

$8.49 MX$147

75.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 261

$10.99 MX$190

155.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.38

$2.73 MX$47.25

27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 NOK 23.07

$1.50 MX$25.92

65.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.71

$1.96 MX$33.93

73.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 NOK 40.76

$2.12 MX$36.70

106.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 NOK 22.76

$1.86 MX$32.30

31.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 NOK 23.62

$2.17 MX$37.67

17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 25.59

$1.07 MX$18.59

157.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 NOK 17.86

$1.05 MX$18.18

82.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.92 NOK 139

$4.19 MX$72.6

256.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.21 NOK 179

$10.28 MX$178

86.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 31.03

$1.67 MX$28.87

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 NOK 37.91

$2.49 MX$43.12

63.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 NOK 23.17

$0.54 MX$9.37

361.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 NOK 691

$26.27 MX$455

183.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NOK 94.8

$3.10 MX$53.8

228.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 NOK 12.92

$2.46 MX$42.66

-43.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.55 NOK 442

$3.24 MX$56.1

1367.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 NOK 18.89

$1.26 MX$21.83

61.11%

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

$35.1K NOK 326.0K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

16.20%

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

$38.2K NOK 354.9K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

62.79%

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

$240 NOK 2,232

$84.0 MX$1,456

185.81%

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

$37.83 NOK 352

$22.21 MX$385

70.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 NOK 521

$29.65 MX$514

88.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 NOK 461

$52.6 MX$912

-5.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 NOK 335

$18.34 MX$318

96.67%

Cinema Ticket

$16.71 NOK 155

$4.95 MX$85.7

237.58%

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

$279 NOK 2,593

$198 MX$3,438

40.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

89.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 NOK 898

$35.95 MX$623

168.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 NOK 477

$40.06 MX$694

28.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NOK 1,003

$78.8 MX$1,365

36.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 NOK 1,437

$86.5 MX$1,499

78.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 NOK 11.4K

$977 MX$16.9K

25.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 NOK 8,404

$471 MX$8,158

91.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 NOK 14.1K

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 NOK 12.5K

$1,215 MX$21.1K

10.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,929 NOK 64.4K

$4,032 MX$69.9K

71.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,477 NOK 41.6K

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-31.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.38

11.42

-61.65%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Sarpsborg versus $977 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Sarpsborg versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $459 vs $252 – 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

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

Yes – Sarpsborg is pricier by about 98%, 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 $3,744 per month in Sarpsborg and $1,891 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 $2,496 in Sarpsborg and $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 183% 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 $1,261, than in Sarpsborg at $2,496. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sarpsborg 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, Sarpsborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.