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: $2,985 in Ballerup versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,665 in Ballerup versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,346 in Ballerup versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 132% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 123% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.64 DKK 164

$11.94 MX$208

114.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 DKK 795

$42.75 MX$744

191.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 DKK 97.8

$10.59 MX$184

44.66%

Cappuccino

$6.90 DKK 44.05

$3.62 MX$63.0

90.61%

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

$4.36 DKK 27.80

$1.47 MX$25.54

196.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 DKK 20.60

$0.94 MX$16.41

243.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.06 DKK 57.8

$3.09 MX$53.8

193.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 DKK 50.6

$4.46 MX$77.6

78.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 DKK 12.74

$1.43 MX$24.80

39.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 DKK 20.35

$1.88 MX$32.79

69.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 DKK 16.45

$1.63 MX$28.34

58.28%

Eggs

$4.86 DKK 30.98

$2.64 MX$45.99

84.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 DKK 84.8

$8.21 MX$143

61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 DKK 67.4

$8.29 MX$144

27.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 DKK 102

$11.10 MX$193

44.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 DKK 19.60

$2.65 MX$46.14

15.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 DKK 21.53

$1.50 MX$26.11

125.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 DKK 22.47

$1.99 MX$34.59

76.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 DKK 34.88

$2.08 MX$36.13

162.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 DKK 14.61

$1.79 MX$31.11

27.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 DKK 11.04

$2.18 MX$37.87

-20.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 DKK 14.52

$1.08 MX$18.73

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 DKK 5.27

$1.04 MX$18.04

-20.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 DKK 64.1

$3.97 MX$69.1

152.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 DKK 65.2

$10.20 MX$178

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 DKK 11.53

$1.73 MX$30.04

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 DKK 13.23

$2.50 MX$43.46

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 DKK 23.46

$0.52 MX$9.02

607.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 DKK 494

$26.97 MX$469

187.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 DKK 50.7

$3.14 MX$54.7

152.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 DKK 10.63

$2.40 MX$41.80

-30.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.2 DKK 397

$3.09 MX$53.7

1911.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 DKK 14.01

$1.27 MX$22.16

73.23%

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

$48.3K DKK 308.0K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

56.35%

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

$47.8K DKK 305.1K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

105.08%

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

$203 DKK 1,294

$82.0 MX$1,427

147.37%

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

$17.66 DKK 113

$22.45 MX$391

-21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.30 DKK 264

$29.66 MX$516

39.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.97 DKK 268

$51.9 MX$903

-19.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.70 DKK 190

$18.67 MX$325

59.08%

Cinema Ticket

$18.26 DKK 117

$4.97 MX$86.5

267.40%

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

$596 DKK 3,804

$198 MX$3,442

201.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,924 DKK 37.8K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

12.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 DKK 666

$36.34 MX$632

187.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 DKK 232

$40.05 MX$697

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 DKK 755

$79.9 MX$1,390

48.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 DKK 1,245

$88.9 MX$1,547

119.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,329 DKK 14.9K

$963 MX$16.8K

141.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 DKK 9,738

$465 MX$8,086

228.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,145 DKK 20.1K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

97.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,766 DKK 17.6K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

128.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,159 DKK 39.3K

$720 MX$12.5K

754.88%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,329 in Ballerup and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 755% 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: $125 in Ballerup vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $251 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 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ballerup pays 755% 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: $2,329 in Ballerup versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $596 in Ballerup versus $198 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 45% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,985 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 132% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.