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: $2,273 in Ballerup versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,590 in Ballerup versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,908 in Ballerup versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ballerup is roughly 74% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ballerup is 65% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.21 DKK 150

$11.96 MX$203

94.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 DKK 790

$47.38 MX$804

158.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.44 DKK 99.5

$11.75 MX$199

31.40%

Cappuccino

$7.42 DKK 47.81

$4.12 MX$70.0

80.10%

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

$4.45 DKK 28.68

$1.40 MX$23.74

217.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 DKK 23.61

$0.91 MX$15.48

302.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 DKK 61.9

$3.21 MX$54.4

199.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.60 DKK 48.95

$7.07 MX$120

7.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 DKK 13.85

$1.68 MX$28.44

27.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 DKK 25.74

$2.15 MX$36.48

85.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 DKK 15.24

$1.77 MX$30.10

33.90%

Eggs

$5.02 DKK 32.35

$2.82 MX$47.76

78.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.12 DKK 104

$9.20 MX$156

75.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 DKK 77.1

$9.23 MX$157

29.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.33 DKK 125

$12.64 MX$214

52.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 DKK 21.04

$2.95 MX$50.1

10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.40 DKK 21.93

$1.58 MX$26.79

115.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 DKK 25.25

$2.22 MX$37.70

76.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 DKK 35.25

$2.36 MX$40.09

131.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 DKK 15.10

$1.99 MX$33.81

17.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 DKK 13.59

$1.98 MX$33.58

6.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 DKK 14.18

$1.24 MX$21.04

77.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 DKK 9.39

$1.21 MX$20.55

20.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 DKK 63.9

$4.60 MX$78.1

115.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.56 DKK 68.1

$10.52 MX$178

0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 DKK 11.99

$1.69 MX$28.70

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 DKK 15.56

$2.77 MX$47.06

-13.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 DKK 24.40

$0.60 MX$10.22

531.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 DKK 634

$29.70 MX$504

231.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.99 DKK 38.62

$5.24 MX$88.8

14.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 DKK 11.21

$3.65 MX$61.9

-52.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 DKK 414

$5.78 MX$98.1

1010.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 DKK 16.65

$1.54 MX$26.09

67.53%

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

$52.9K DKK 340.8K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

131.94%

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

$54.0K DKK 348.3K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

109.38%

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

$192 DKK 1,237

$90.7 MX$1,538

111.73%

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

$12.24 DKK 78.9

$25.19 MX$427

-51.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.14 DKK 252

$31.75 MX$539

23.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.47 DKK 274

$68.8 MX$1,167

-38.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.35 DKK 163

$29.37 MX$498

-13.69%

Cinema Ticket

$20.67 DKK 133

$4.86 MX$82.5

325.31%

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

$751 DKK 4,838

$226 MX$3,828

232.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,235 DKK 40.2K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

48.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 DKK 703

$47.38 MX$804

130.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 DKK 316

$43.45 MX$737

12.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 DKK 857

$80.2 MX$1,361

65.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 DKK 1,260

$91.4 MX$1,550

113.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 DKK 6,214

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 DKK 4,910

$409 MX$6,933

86.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 DKK 11.0K

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 DKK 8,372

$1,281 MX$21.7K

1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,896 DKK 31.5K

$4,046 MX$68.6K

21.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,526 DKK 22.7K

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-47.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,059 DKK 39.0K

$773 MX$13.1K

683.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.7

11.45

-67.69%

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

Last update for Ballerup: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $964 in Ballerup and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 684% 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: $123 in Ballerup vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $278 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 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 684% 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: $964 in Ballerup versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $751 in Ballerup versus $226 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 48% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,273 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 74% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.