Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tromso and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,272 in Tromso, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Tromso
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Tromso Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Tromso

🇳🇴 Norway

$3,272

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tromso and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tromso and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,272 per month in Tromso vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tromso $3,272
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,928 per month in Tromso vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tromso $4,928
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $6,584 per month in Tromso vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Tromso $6,584
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Tromso costs about 172% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Tromso sits 140% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.84 NOK 324

$10.92 MX$204

219.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 NOK 991

$43.37 MX$808

145.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.13 NOK 150

$11.78 MX$220

36.93%

Cappuccino

$6.87 NOK 63.8

$3.81 MX$71.0

80.31%

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

$5.02 NOK 46.63

$1.28 MX$23.90

292.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 NOK 35.27

$0.78 MX$14.59

387.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.79 NOK 119

$3.17 MX$59.0

303.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.94 NOK 130

$4.93 MX$92.0

182.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.61 NOK 24.24

$1.41 MX$26.22

85.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 NOK 32.28

$2.22 MX$41.33

56.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 36.73

$1.42 MX$26.42

178.17%

Eggs

$5.42 NOK 50.3

$2.52 MX$47.03

115.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 NOK 111

$7.26 MX$135

64.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.18 NOK 141

$7.70 MX$143

97.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.51 NOK 395

$12.69 MX$237

234.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 NOK 39.26

$2.78 MX$51.9

52.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 NOK 28.17

$1.37 MX$25.50

121.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.42 NOK 50.4

$2.55 MX$47.55

112.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 NOK 56.5

$2.12 MX$39.58

186.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 32.79

$1.94 MX$36.13

81.96%

Onion (1kg)

$4.89 NOK 45.43

$1.89 MX$35.16

158.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 NOK 27.61

$1.15 MX$21.37

158.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 NOK 19.85

$1.18 MX$21.98

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.48 NOK 153

$4.30 MX$80.1

283.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 NOK 165

$9.95 MX$185

78.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 NOK 37.56

$1.58 MX$29.52

155.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 NOK 45.97

$2.67 MX$49.79

85.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.07 NOK 47.12

$0.55 MX$10.31

821.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.8 NOK 630

$26.62 MX$496

154.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.35 NOK 152

$4.97 MX$92.6

228.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 NOK 20.08

$3.33 MX$62.1

-35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.4 NOK 533

$5.36 MX$99.8

969.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.38 NOK 22.08

$1.44 MX$26.92

65.28%

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

$50.0K NOK 464.6K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

142.01%

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

$44.5K NOK 413.0K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

89.43%

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

$266 NOK 2,467

$84.8 MX$1,581

213.19%

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

$50.7 NOK 471

$23.41 MX$436

116.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 NOK 789

$28.66 MX$534

196.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 NOK 454

$57.1 MX$1,063

-14.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.46 NOK 450

$28.91 MX$539

67.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.45 NOK 162

$5.14 MX$95.8

239.49%

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

$324 NOK 3,013

$207 MX$3,851

56.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,850 NOK 72.9K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

99.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 NOK 639

$43.35 MX$808

58.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.13 NOK 326

$41.44 MX$772

-15.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$153 NOK 1,423

$74.2 MX$1,383

106.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 NOK 1,539

$89.3 MX$1,664

85.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,780 NOK 16.5K

$980 MX$18.3K

81.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 NOK 12.9K

$381 MX$7,099

265.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,215 NOK 29.9K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

88.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 NOK 21.8K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

117.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,342 NOK 77.5K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

111.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,634 NOK 52.3K

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-8.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,302 NOK 40.0K

$735 MX$13.7K

485.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

11.45

-56.24%

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

Last update for Tromso: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Tromso

$1.4K 42.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 72.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Tromso

$553 16.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 53.9% $298

Eating Out

Tromso

$537 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 62.3% $334

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tromso

$401 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 65.9% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Tromso

$190 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 41.3% $79

Getting Around

Tromso

$115 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 56.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Tromso

$84 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 19.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,780 in Tromso versus $980 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 in Tromso are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Tromso versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $553 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇴 Tromso

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:03 2:03 AM

20:03 8:03 PM

6 h behind Tromso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,908

149,923

💱 Currency

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NOK = 10.76 USD

100 NOK = 9.67 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.29 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.34 NOK (100 NOK = 9.67 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to NOK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tromso Playa del Carmen 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Tromso
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Yes – Tromso is pricier by about 172%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,908 per month in Tromso and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,780 in Tromso.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,272 in Tromso and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 63% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 61% 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 $1,204, than in Tromso at $3,272. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tromso 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tromso makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.