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 $2,456 per month in Stokmarknes vs $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,795 per month in Stokmarknes vs $2,177 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,133 per month in Stokmarknes vs $3,095 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stokmarknes costs about 95% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Stokmarknes sits 84% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.89 NOK 239

$11.95 MX$208

108.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 NOK 980

$41.94 MX$730

143.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 NOK 129

$10.42 MX$181

29.27%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 46.59

$3.51 MX$61.2

38.46%

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

$3.20 NOK 30.73

$1.52 MX$26.39

110.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NOK 28.07

$0.91 MX$15.84

221.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.23 NOK 98.1

$3.04 MX$52.9

236.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 NOK 93.0

$4.37 MX$76.1

121.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 NOK 21.57

$1.42 MX$24.73

58.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 NOK 31.41

$1.83 MX$31.87

79.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 31.66

$1.63 MX$28.45

102.45%

Eggs

$4.47 NOK 42.83

$2.54 MX$44.20

75.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 NOK 115

$8.57 MX$149

40.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.74 NOK 141

$8.49 MX$148

73.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.08 NOK 269

$10.80 MX$188

160.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 NOK 34.33

$2.75 MX$47.94

30.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 NOK 22.87

$1.44 MX$25.00

65.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 32.14

$1.89 MX$32.83

77.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 NOK 42.22

$2.17 MX$37.77

102.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 NOK 22.79

$1.78 MX$30.97

33.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NOK 24.28

$2.22 MX$38.71

13.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NOK 27.50

$1.07 MX$18.60

168.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.82

$1.08 MX$18.79

72.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.91 NOK 143

$4.15 MX$72.2

259.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 NOK 171

$10.45 MX$182

70.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 NOK 32.59

$1.74 MX$30.34

95.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 NOK 39.48

$2.58 MX$44.92

59.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 NOK 40.62

$0.51 MX$8.94

729.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.6 NOK 716

$25.94 MX$451

187.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.30 NOK 98.8

$3.21 MX$55.9

220.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.49

$2.50 MX$43.55

-43.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.40 NOK 455

$3.19 MX$55.4

1385.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.60

$1.26 MX$21.87

70.63%

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

$35.6K NOK 341.0K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

19.75%

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

$38.7K NOK 371.3K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

63.47%

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

$238 NOK 2,285

$82.0 MX$1,427

190.48%

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

$38.86 NOK 373

$22.73 MX$395

70.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 NOK 524

$29.42 MX$512

85.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.75 NOK 468

$52.2 MX$908

-6.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 NOK 338

$18.45 MX$321

90.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 NOK 157

$4.93 MX$85.9

232.25%

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

$282 NOK 2,703

$202 MX$3,511

39.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,976 NOK 95.7K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

91.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 NOK 924

$35.93 MX$625

168.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 NOK 508

$40.33 MX$702

31.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,025

$79.9 MX$1,390

33.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 NOK 1,442

$89.3 MX$1,554

68.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 NOK 11.7K

$948 MX$16.5K

28.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 NOK 8,500

$465 MX$8,097

90.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 NOK 17.3K

$1,630 MX$28.4K

10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 NOK 14.5K

$1,193 MX$20.8K

26.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 NOK 50.1K

$3,933 MX$68.4K

32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,411 NOK 42.3K

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-31.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,216 in Stokmarknes versus $948 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 $102 in Stokmarknes versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $455 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

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

Yes – Stokmarknes is pricier by about 95%, 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 $3,685 per month in Stokmarknes and $1,888 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 $2,456 in Stokmarknes and $1,259 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 188% 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 $1,259, than in Stokmarknes at $2,456. 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.