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 $1,770 per month in Helsingborg vs $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,788 per month in Helsingborg vs $2,158 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,807 per month in Helsingborg vs $3,054 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Helsingborg costs about 40% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Helsingborg sits 31% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.88 SEK 146

$11.61 MX$201

36.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 SEK 678

$42.75 MX$742

72.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 SEK 98.5

$10.60 MX$184

1.13%

Cappuccino

$4.71 SEK 43.27

$3.59 MX$62.3

31.20%

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

$2.83 SEK 25.99

$1.45 MX$25.21

95.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 SEK 24.35

$0.90 MX$15.58

194.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.40 SEK 68.1

$3.03 MX$52.6

144.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 SEK 58.0

$4.56 MX$79.2

38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 14.05

$1.45 MX$25.20

5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 SEK 22.76

$1.83 MX$31.72

35.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 SEK 23.84

$1.61 MX$27.92

60.87%

Eggs

$4.72 SEK 43.34

$2.54 MX$44.05

85.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 SEK 96.0

$8.54 MX$148

22.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 SEK 109

$8.47 MX$147

39.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 SEK 151

$10.86 MX$189

51.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 SEK 25.45

$2.73 MX$47.37

1.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 25.28

$1.49 MX$25.91

84.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 SEK 28.74

$1.94 MX$33.73

61.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 SEK 35.32

$2.16 MX$37.57

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 SEK 13.82

$1.85 MX$32.05

-18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 SEK 13.62

$2.19 MX$38.00

-32.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 SEK 18.55

$1.07 MX$18.62

88.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 SEK 15.62

$1.08 MX$18.81

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.37 SEK 67.7

$4.06 MX$70.5

81.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 SEK 97.2

$10.46 MX$182

1.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 SEK 21.48

$1.65 MX$28.71

41.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 SEK 15.97

$2.55 MX$44.23

-31.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 SEK 31.25

$0.56 MX$9.65

507.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 SEK 596

$26.20 MX$455

147.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 SEK 28.92

$3.14 MX$54.5

0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 SEK 15.17

$2.37 MX$41.17

-30.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.98 SEK 184

$3.24 MX$56.2

516.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 17.50

$1.31 MX$22.81

45.04%

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

$32.8K SEK 301.4K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

7.40%

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

$34.0K SEK 312.4K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

42.71%

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

$119 SEK 1,097

$83.1 MX$1,443

43.54%

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

$28.14 SEK 259

$22.15 MX$385

27.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.76 SEK 329

$29.37 MX$510

21.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.54 SEK 363

$51.2 MX$889

-22.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.16 SEK 204

$18.69 MX$324

18.57%

Cinema Ticket

$21.26 SEK 195

$4.89 MX$84.9

334.76%

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

$146 SEK 1,343

$199 MX$3,449

-26.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,061 SEK 37.3K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

-22.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 SEK 749

$35.93 MX$624

126.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.01 SEK 395

$39.39 MX$684

9.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 SEK 781

$80.3 MX$1,394

5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 SEK 1,040

$87.6 MX$1,520

29.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 SEK 7,450

$963 MX$16.7K

-15.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 SEK 5,905

$482 MX$8,370

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 SEK 12.3K

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 SEK 10.5K

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-4.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,309 SEK 30.4K

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-16.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,470 SEK 22.7K

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-62.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,116 SEK 28.6K

$726 MX$12.6K

329.02%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $811 in Helsingborg versus $963 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 329% 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 $74 in Helsingborg versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $253 – 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: $1,770 in Helsingborg, $1,262 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 40% apart. Helsingborg costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,654 per month in Helsingborg and $1,894 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 148% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $146 per month in Helsingborg and $199 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 $1,262, than in Helsingborg at $1,770. 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 $1,262 in Playa del Carmen to $1,770 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.