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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,010 in Ballerup versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,664 in Ballerup versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,317 in Ballerup versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 137% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 124% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 DKK 164

$11.87 MX$204

115.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 DKK 815

$42.90 MX$736

194.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.68 DKK 101

$10.65 MX$183

47.23%

Cappuccino

$6.78 DKK 43.70

$3.45 MX$59.2

96.52%

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

$4.43 DKK 28.54

$1.50 MX$25.81

195.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 DKK 20.89

$0.95 MX$16.28

241.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.36 DKK 60.3

$3.03 MX$51.9

208.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 DKK 49.37

$4.61 MX$79.1

66.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 DKK 12.82

$1.38 MX$23.61

44.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 DKK 20.98

$1.85 MX$31.70

76.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 DKK 15.97

$1.61 MX$27.65

54.04%

Eggs

$4.86 DKK 31.32

$2.59 MX$44.51

87.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 DKK 87.8

$8.26 MX$142

65.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 DKK 68.5

$8.37 MX$144

27.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 DKK 103

$10.66 MX$183

49.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 DKK 19.51

$2.63 MX$45.12

15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 DKK 20.73

$1.49 MX$25.53

116.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 DKK 22.80

$1.92 MX$32.94

84.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 DKK 36.38

$2.09 MX$35.81

170.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 DKK 14.68

$1.86 MX$31.88

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 DKK 11.43

$2.26 MX$38.81

-21.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 DKK 15.10

$1.06 MX$18.23

120.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 DKK 5.38

$1.09 MX$18.67

-22.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 DKK 65.2

$4.15 MX$71.2

143.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 DKK 66.1

$10.39 MX$178

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 DKK 11.56

$1.72 MX$29.59

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 DKK 13.23

$2.61 MX$44.85

-21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 DKK 23.53

$0.54 MX$9.30

575.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 DKK 505

$26.94 MX$462

191.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 DKK 49.25

$3.13 MX$53.7

144.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 DKK 11.25

$2.51 MX$43.09

-30.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 DKK 395

$3.15 MX$54.1

1848.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 DKK 13.57

$1.27 MX$21.88

66.14%

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

$48.0K DKK 308.9K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

57.88%

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

$47.8K DKK 307.8K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

102.78%

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

$199 DKK 1,281

$83.0 MX$1,425

139.54%

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

$17.67 DKK 114

$22.71 MX$390

-22.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.94 DKK 264

$29.46 MX$506

38.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 DKK 262

$51.0 MX$875

-20.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.29 DKK 195

$18.33 MX$315

65.25%

Cinema Ticket

$18.46 DKK 119

$4.93 MX$84.5

274.44%

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

$607 DKK 3,907

$197 MX$3,386

207.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,948 DKK 38.3K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

12.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 DKK 662

$36.90 MX$633

178.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 DKK 225

$39.89 MX$685

-12.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 DKK 764

$80.0 MX$1,373

48.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 DKK 1,274

$89.5 MX$1,536

121.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 DKK 15.2K

$956 MX$16.4K

146.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 DKK 9,976

$477 MX$8,189

224.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,119 DKK 20.1K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

89.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 DKK 17.7K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

124.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,593 DKK 29.6K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

17.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,179 DKK 26.9K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-35.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,077 DKK 39.1K

$667 MX$11.4K

811.08%

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 Ballerup: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,354 in Ballerup and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 811% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $127 in Ballerup vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $250 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 137% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ballerup pays 811% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,354 in Ballerup versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Ballerup versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,010 in Ballerup, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ballerup. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ballerup, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ballerup and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.