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 $2,802 per month in Sarpsborg vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,162 per month in Sarpsborg vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,521 per month in Sarpsborg vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sarpsborg costs about 121% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Sarpsborg sits 105% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$40.12 NOK 378

$11.60 MX$199

245.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 1,010

$47.11 MX$809

127.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.57 NOK 184

$11.88 MX$204

64.73%

Cappuccino

$5.76 NOK 54.2

$3.98 MX$68.2

44.72%

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

$2.90 NOK 27.36

$1.43 MX$24.49

102.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NOK 25.01

$0.82 MX$14.16

223.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.82 NOK 83.1

$3.19 MX$54.7

176.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.73 NOK 111

$6.79 MX$117

72.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 NOK 22.23

$1.68 MX$28.76

40.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.09

$2.20 MX$37.71

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 35.40

$1.71 MX$29.32

119.88%

Eggs

$5.08 NOK 47.89

$2.74 MX$47.05

85.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 NOK 121

$9.58 MX$164

34.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.59 NOK 147

$9.01 MX$155

73.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.86 NOK 281

$12.81 MX$220

133.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.89

$2.89 MX$49.58

20.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NOK 26.15

$1.50 MX$25.70

85.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 33.89

$2.15 MX$36.87

67.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 42.57

$2.26 MX$38.79

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.50

$1.98 MX$34.00

31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 NOK 28.07

$1.99 MX$34.15

49.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 NOK 29.29

$1.23 MX$21.18

152.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 NOK 21.96

$1.20 MX$20.54

94.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.68 NOK 185

$4.55 MX$78.1

332.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 168

$10.37 MX$178

72.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 NOK 34.02

$1.62 MX$27.79

122.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 NOK 40.73

$2.88 MX$49.44

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 NOK 25.45

$0.60 MX$10.30

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 NOK 732

$28.80 MX$494

169.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.98 NOK 103

$5.39 MX$92.5

103.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 NOK 18.38

$3.73 MX$64.0

-47.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$73.9 NOK 696

$5.77 MX$99.0

1179.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.52

$1.54 MX$26.37

41.56%

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

$45.0K NOK 423.5K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

99.38%

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

$40.2K NOK 378.4K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

54.17%

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

$273 NOK 2,570

$91.4 MX$1,569

198.53%

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

$30.00 NOK 283

$25.20 MX$433

19.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 NOK 559

$31.24 MX$536

89.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 NOK 484

$67.2 MX$1,154

-23.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.10 NOK 302

$29.11 MX$500

10.27%

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 NOK 159

$4.86 MX$83.5

247.94%

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

$253 NOK 2,383

$224 MX$3,839

13.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 124.2K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

211.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 NOK 914

$47.10 MX$808

106.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 NOK 492

$44.29 MX$760

17.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 NOK 1,065

$80.1 MX$1,375

41.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$182 NOK 1,711

$92.7 MX$1,591

95.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 NOK 11.8K

$1,063 MX$18.2K

18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 NOK 9,782

$390 MX$6,698

166.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 NOK 15.2K

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,388 NOK 13.1K

$1,272 MX$21.8K

9.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,265 NOK 59.0K

$4,001 MX$68.7K

56.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,159 NOK 39.2K

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-36.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,721 NOK 25.6K

$758 MX$13.0K

258.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

11.45

-54.76%

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

Last update for Sarpsborg: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,257 in Sarpsborg versus $1,063 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 259% higher in Sarpsborg, 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 $107 in Sarpsborg versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $486 vs $276 – 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 121%, 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 $4,204 per month in Sarpsborg and $1,899 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 $2,802 in Sarpsborg and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 170% 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 $1,266, than in Sarpsborg at $2,802. 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.