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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,365 in Helsingor versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Helsingor versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,907 in Helsingor versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Helsingor is roughly 86% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Helsingor is 76% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.30 DKK 137

$11.87 MX$204

79.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 DKK 687

$42.90 MX$736

148.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 DKK 81.1

$10.65 MX$183

18.22%

Cappuccino

$6.27 DKK 40.41

$3.45 MX$59.2

81.74%

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

$4.73 DKK 30.44

$1.50 MX$25.81

215.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 DKK 20.61

$0.95 MX$16.28

236.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 DKK 53.0

$3.03 MX$51.9

171.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 DKK 44.81

$4.61 MX$79.1

50.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 DKK 12.95

$1.38 MX$23.61

45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 DKK 20.31

$1.85 MX$31.70

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 DKK 14.82

$1.61 MX$27.65

42.86%

Eggs

$4.07 DKK 26.24

$2.59 MX$44.51

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 DKK 85.8

$8.26 MX$142

61.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 DKK 70.5

$8.37 MX$144

30.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.13 DKK 104

$10.66 MX$183

51.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 DKK 18.50

$2.63 MX$45.12

9.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 DKK 18.47

$1.49 MX$25.53

92.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 DKK 20.56

$1.92 MX$32.94

66.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 DKK 35.44

$2.09 MX$35.81

163.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 DKK 13.38

$1.86 MX$31.88

11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 DKK 11.13

$2.26 MX$38.81

-23.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 DKK 15.12

$1.06 MX$18.23

121.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 DKK 4.99

$1.09 MX$18.67

-29.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.91 DKK 57.4

$4.15 MX$71.2

114.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 DKK 68.5

$10.39 MX$178

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 DKK 10.90

$1.72 MX$29.59

-1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 DKK 13.74

$2.61 MX$44.85

-18.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 DKK 24.37

$0.54 MX$9.30

600.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 DKK 758

$26.94 MX$462

336.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 DKK 38.38

$3.13 MX$53.7

90.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 DKK 10.84

$2.51 MX$43.09

-33.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.3 DKK 401

$3.15 MX$54.1

1878.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 DKK 14.24

$1.27 MX$21.88

74.02%

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

$46.2K DKK 297.7K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

52.18%

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

$48.0K DKK 309.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

103.68%

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

$164 DKK 1,056

$83.0 MX$1,425

97.58%

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

$15.42 DKK 99.3

$22.71 MX$390

-32.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.25 DKK 246

$29.46 MX$506

29.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 DKK 277

$51.0 MX$875

-15.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.57 DKK 190

$18.33 MX$315

61.32%

Cinema Ticket

$18.82 DKK 121

$4.93 MX$84.5

281.74%

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

$602 DKK 3,880

$197 MX$3,386

205.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,126 DKK 26.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-21.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 DKK 671

$36.90 MX$633

182.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.99 DKK 232

$39.89 MX$685

-9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 DKK 786

$80.0 MX$1,373

52.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 DKK 1,277

$89.5 MX$1,536

121.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 DKK 6,477

$956 MX$16.4K

5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 DKK 6,607

$477 MX$8,189

115.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 DKK 11.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

5.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 DKK 10.2K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

28.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,402 DKK 41.2K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

63.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,072 DKK 32.7K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-21.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,768 DKK 17.8K

$667 MX$11.4K

314.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.42

-63.75%

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

Last update for Helsingor: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Helsingor and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingor pays 315% 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: $107 in Helsingor vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $250 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

Helsingor 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 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Helsingor pays 315% 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: $1,006 in Helsingor versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $602 in Helsingor versus $197 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 42% higher in Helsingor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,365 in Helsingor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Helsingor. 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 Helsingor, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsingor 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 86% less than in Helsingor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.