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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,811 per month in Helsingborg vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,820 per month in Helsingborg vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in Helsingborg vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Helsingborg costs about 44% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Helsingborg sits 36% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.90 SEK 154

$11.99 MX$209

32.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 SEK 709

$41.78 MX$728

75.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 SEK 102

$10.75 MX$187

-1.67%

Cappuccino

$4.65 SEK 45.05

$3.50 MX$60.9

32.86%

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

$2.83 SEK 27.43

$1.45 MX$25.22

95.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 SEK 27.07

$0.88 MX$15.41

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 SEK 70.6

$2.95 MX$51.3

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 SEK 59.5

$4.51 MX$78.6

36.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 14.79

$1.43 MX$24.94

6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 SEK 23.11

$1.84 MX$31.99

29.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 SEK 26.22

$1.57 MX$27.31

72.61%

Eggs

$4.84 SEK 46.83

$2.51 MX$43.74

92.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 SEK 99.5

$8.28 MX$144

24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.59 SEK 112

$8.43 MX$147

37.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.10 SEK 156

$10.68 MX$186

50.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 27.35

$2.61 MX$45.43

8.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 27.18

$1.44 MX$25.04

95.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.97

$1.96 MX$34.16

63.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.83 SEK 37.03

$2.09 MX$36.47

83.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 SEK 14.28

$1.85 MX$32.24

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 14.34

$2.17 MX$37.74

-31.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 SEK 19.86

$1.03 MX$17.96

99.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 SEK 16.63

$1.07 MX$18.70

60.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 SEK 69.1

$4.10 MX$71.4

74.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.41 SEK 91.1

$10.17 MX$177

-7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 SEK 22.60

$1.68 MX$29.17

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.11

$2.53 MX$43.98

-34.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 SEK 31.77

$0.51 MX$8.87

543.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 SEK 632

$26.04 MX$453

150.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 SEK 30.31

$3.23 MX$56.3

-3.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 15.27

$2.41 MX$41.88

-34.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 SEK 197

$3.23 MX$56.2

530.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.46

$1.32 MX$23.00

44.70%

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

$32.5K SEK 314.3K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

9.33%

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

$34.2K SEK 331.5K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

44.71%

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

$117 SEK 1,133

$82.0 MX$1,428

42.70%

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

$28.69 SEK 278

$22.95 MX$400

25.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.56 SEK 354

$30.11 MX$524

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 SEK 374

$52.0 MX$905

-25.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.08 SEK 214

$18.53 MX$323

19.16%

Cinema Ticket

$20.96 SEK 203

$4.98 MX$86.6

320.88%

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

$148 SEK 1,429

$197 MX$3,438

-25.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,146 SEK 40.1K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

-22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.2 SEK 796

$35.60 MX$620

130.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 SEK 426

$40.33 MX$702

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 SEK 817

$78.8 MX$1,371

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 SEK 1,111

$88.9 MX$1,549

29.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 SEK 8,004

$947 MX$16.5K

-12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 SEK 6,325

$474 MX$8,254

37.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 SEK 13.2K

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-17.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 SEK 11.1K

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-4.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,169 SEK 30.7K

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-21.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 SEK 22.7K

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-63.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,900 SEK 28.1K

$654 MX$11.4K

343.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.66

11.42

-59.19%

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

Last update for Helsingborg: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $827 in Helsingborg versus $947 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 run about 343% higher in Helsingborg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73.0 in Helsingborg versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,811 in Helsingborg, $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 44% apart. Helsingborg costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,717 per month in Helsingborg and $1,884 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 151% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $148 per month in Helsingborg and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Helsingborg at $1,811. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helsingborg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $1,811 in Helsingborg. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Helsingborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.