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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,695 per month in Stavanger vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,140 per month in Stavanger vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,584 per month in Stavanger vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stavanger costs about 109% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Stavanger sits 101% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.22 NOK 235

$11.94 MX$209

111.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 NOK 1,113

$42.75 MX$748

179.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 NOK 143

$10.59 MX$185

44.66%

Cappuccino

$5.05 NOK 47.09

$3.62 MX$63.4

39.50%

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

$4.01 NOK 37.36

$1.47 MX$25.69

172.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.25

$0.94 MX$16.51

268.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$3.09 MX$54.1

261.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 NOK 92.7

$4.46 MX$78.0

122.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 NOK 22.84

$1.43 MX$24.94

71.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 NOK 28.90

$1.88 MX$32.97

64.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.61 NOK 42.97

$1.63 MX$28.50

182.82%

Eggs

$4.34 NOK 40.44

$2.64 MX$46.26

64.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 NOK 120

$8.21 MX$144

57.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 NOK 152

$8.29 MX$145

96.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.67 NOK 258

$11.10 MX$194

149.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 NOK 31.76

$2.65 MX$46.40

28.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 24.42

$1.50 MX$26.26

74.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 28.07

$1.99 MX$34.79

51.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 42.42

$2.08 MX$36.33

118.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NOK 19.28

$1.79 MX$31.29

15.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 27.85

$2.18 MX$38.09

37.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 NOK 23.00

$1.08 MX$18.84

128.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 NOK 17.14

$1.04 MX$18.15

76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.09 NOK 141

$3.97 MX$69.5

280.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.20 NOK 179

$10.20 MX$179

88.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 NOK 33.07

$1.73 MX$30.22

105.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 NOK 37.39

$2.50 MX$43.71

60.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.48 NOK 41.78

$0.52 MX$9.07

761.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 NOK 623

$26.97 MX$472

147.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.00 NOK 140

$3.14 MX$55.0

377.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NOK 19.44

$2.40 MX$42.04

-12.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$102 NOK 951

$3.09 MX$54.0

3201.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 NOK 19.66

$1.27 MX$22.28

66.14%

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

$33.8K NOK 315.5K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

9.60%

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

$33.0K NOK 307.7K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

41.62%

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

$191 NOK 1,782

$82.0 MX$1,435

133.11%

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

$43.15 NOK 402

$22.45 MX$393

92.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$29.66 MX$519

171.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 NOK 522

$51.9 MX$908

8.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.16 NOK 328

$18.67 MX$327

88.32%

Cinema Ticket

$19.31 NOK 180

$4.97 MX$87.0

288.53%

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

$322 NOK 2,998

$198 MX$3,462

62.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K NOK 123.5K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

151.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$117 NOK 1,087

$36.34 MX$636

221.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.7 NOK 547

$40.05 MX$701

46.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 994

$79.9 MX$1,398

33.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,484

$88.9 MX$1,555

79.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 NOK 14.7K

$963 MX$16.9K

64.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.5K

$465 MX$8,133

141.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,783 NOK 25.9K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

74.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 NOK 16.6K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

47.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,940 NOK 55.4K

$3,942 MX$69.0K

50.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,361 NOK 50.0K

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-16.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,014 NOK 46.7K

$720 MX$12.6K

596.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

11.42

-60.51%

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

Last update for Stavanger: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,580 in Stavanger versus $963 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 596% higher in Stavanger, 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 $119 in Stavanger versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $251 – 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

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

Yes – Stavanger is pricier by about 109%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,042 per month in Stavanger and $1,930 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 $2,695 in Stavanger and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 148% 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 $1,287, than in Stavanger at $2,695. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stavanger 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, Stavanger makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.