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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,431 per month in Stokmarknes vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,741 per month in Stokmarknes vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,052 per month in Stokmarknes vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stokmarknes costs about 88% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Stokmarknes sits 81% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.49 NOK 241

$11.73 MX$205

117.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 NOK 940

$41.62 MX$727

138.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 NOK 131

$10.64 MX$186

30.64%

Cappuccino

$5.01 NOK 47.37

$3.52 MX$61.5

42.33%

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

$3.10 NOK 29.33

$1.51 MX$26.37

105.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NOK 27.63

$0.97 MX$17.00

201.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.02 NOK 94.7

$2.95 MX$51.5

239.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 NOK 92.8

$4.45 MX$77.8

120.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 NOK 21.40

$1.38 MX$24.16

63.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 NOK 32.12

$1.89 MX$33.04

79.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 NOK 30.41

$1.64 MX$28.59

96.34%

Eggs

$4.51 NOK 42.59

$2.51 MX$43.76

79.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 NOK 114

$8.34 MX$146

45.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.55 NOK 138

$8.34 MX$146

74.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.40 NOK 268

$10.73 MX$187

164.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 NOK 34.18

$2.60 MX$45.48

39.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 NOK 22.73

$1.46 MX$25.45

64.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NOK 31.00

$1.90 MX$33.19

72.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NOK 43.04

$2.08 MX$36.26

118.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 NOK 22.88

$1.78 MX$31.01

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 NOK 23.51

$2.19 MX$38.16

13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 NOK 26.06

$1.04 MX$18.16

165.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.88

$1.08 MX$18.80

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.26 NOK 144

$4.08 MX$71.3

274.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.46 NOK 175

$10.32 MX$180

78.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 NOK 31.42

$1.71 MX$29.90

94.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NOK 37.18

$2.58 MX$44.98

52.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.30 NOK 40.64

$0.51 MX$8.90

743.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 NOK 698

$26.46 MX$462

178.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NOK 97.6

$3.26 MX$57.0

216.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 NOK 13.65

$2.49 MX$43.51

-42.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.94 NOK 434

$3.25 MX$56.7

1313.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 NOK 20.19

$1.31 MX$22.83

63.36%

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

$35.7K NOK 337.4K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

17.88%

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

$38.9K NOK 367.8K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

66.06%

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

$237 NOK 2,239

$82.9 MX$1,447

185.76%

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

$38.21 NOK 361

$22.22 MX$388

71.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 NOK 524

$29.34 MX$512

88.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 NOK 470

$51.6 MX$902

-3.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 NOK 330

$18.32 MX$320

90.72%

Cinema Ticket

$16.90 NOK 160

$5.07 MX$88.5

233.33%

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

$283 NOK 2,674

$201 MX$3,507

40.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 96.1K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

95.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 NOK 904

$36.92 MX$645

159.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 NOK 489

$39.79 MX$695

29.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 NOK 1,036

$78.5 MX$1,370

39.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,450

$87.1 MX$1,521

76.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 NOK 11.5K

$973 MX$17.0K

24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$889 NOK 8,401

$468 MX$8,169

90.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 NOK 17.1K

$1,641 MX$28.7K

10.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 NOK 14.5K

$1,221 MX$21.3K

25.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,159 NOK 58.2K

$3,946 MX$68.9K

56.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,666 NOK 44.1K

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-28.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

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 Stokmarknes: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,215 in Stokmarknes 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Stokmarknes versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 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

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

Yes – Stokmarknes is pricier by about 88%, 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 $3,647 per month in Stokmarknes 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 $2,431 in Stokmarknes 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 179% 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 Stokmarknes at $2,431. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stokmarknes 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Stokmarknes makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.