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: $2,964 in Ballerup versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,578 in Ballerup versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,191 in Ballerup versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 135% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 123% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.77 DKK 168

$11.72 MX$204

119.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 DKK 823

$41.89 MX$731

201.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.24 DKK 99.3

$10.51 MX$183

45.00%

Cappuccino

$6.89 DKK 44.92

$3.59 MX$62.5

91.92%

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

$4.42 DKK 28.78

$1.51 MX$26.31

192.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 DKK 20.22

$0.92 MX$15.96

236.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.13 DKK 59.5

$2.96 MX$51.6

208.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.74 DKK 50.4

$4.41 MX$76.9

75.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 DKK 13.46

$1.40 MX$24.35

47.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 DKK 20.71

$1.88 MX$32.87

69.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 DKK 16.77

$1.56 MX$27.19

64.74%

Eggs

$5.00 DKK 32.60

$2.61 MX$45.50

91.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 DKK 87.1

$8.32 MX$145

60.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.90 DKK 71.0

$8.35 MX$146

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.16 DKK 105

$10.86 MX$189

48.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 DKK 19.86

$2.71 MX$47.31

12.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.33 DKK 21.69

$1.51 MX$26.25

120.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 DKK 23.16

$1.87 MX$32.67

89.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 DKK 35.54

$2.19 MX$38.19

148.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 DKK 14.98

$1.86 MX$32.40

23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 DKK 11.69

$2.23 MX$38.90

-19.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 DKK 14.62

$1.07 MX$18.63

109.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 DKK 5.21

$1.09 MX$18.94

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 DKK 66.3

$4.19 MX$73.0

142.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 DKK 66.3

$10.43 MX$182

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 DKK 11.39

$1.66 MX$28.91

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 DKK 13.85

$2.61 MX$45.56

-18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.62 DKK 23.57

$0.54 MX$9.45

570.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.1 DKK 509

$26.16 MX$456

198.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 DKK 49.78

$3.08 MX$53.7

148.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 DKK 10.84

$2.40 MX$41.94

-30.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.3 DKK 400

$3.13 MX$54.5

1859.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 DKK 14.19

$1.31 MX$22.87

66.41%

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

$49.6K DKK 323.3K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

66.42%

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

$48.3K DKK 314.6K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

106.97%

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

$198 DKK 1,290

$81.3 MX$1,418

143.50%

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

$17.29 DKK 113

$22.56 MX$393

-23.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.13 DKK 268

$30.05 MX$524

36.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.82 DKK 273

$52.9 MX$923

-20.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.14 DKK 196

$18.39 MX$321

63.89%

Cinema Ticket

$18.57 DKK 121

$4.92 MX$85.8

277.44%

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

$600 DKK 3,913

$201 MX$3,502

199.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,755 DKK 37.5K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

11.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 DKK 673

$35.92 MX$627

187.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.05 DKK 235

$40.13 MX$700

-10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 DKK 798

$79.7 MX$1,390

53.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 DKK 1,272

$86.5 MX$1,508

125.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 DKK 6,063

$978 MX$17.1K

-4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 DKK 10.0K

$470 MX$8,206

226.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 DKK 19.9K

$1,651 MX$28.8K

85.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,788 DKK 18.2K

$1,203 MX$21.0K

131.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,486 DKK 29.2K

$3,953 MX$69.0K

13.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,069 DKK 20.0K

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-53.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,868 DKK 38.2K

$677 MX$11.8K

767.17%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Ballerup and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 767% 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: $126 in Ballerup vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $252 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 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 767% higher in Ballerup, 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: $930 in Ballerup versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Ballerup versus $201 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,964 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 135% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.