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: $2,378 in Helsingor versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,656 in Helsingor versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,934 in Helsingor versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Helsingor is roughly 89% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Helsingor is 79% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.59 DKK 141

$11.72 MX$204

84.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 DKK 702

$41.89 MX$731

157.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 DKK 79.3

$10.51 MX$183

15.79%

Cappuccino

$6.31 DKK 41.15

$3.59 MX$62.5

75.77%

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

$4.76 DKK 30.99

$1.51 MX$26.31

215.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 DKK 20.33

$0.92 MX$15.96

239.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 DKK 55.6

$2.96 MX$51.6

188.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 DKK 45.94

$4.41 MX$76.9

59.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 DKK 13.19

$1.40 MX$24.35

44.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 DKK 21.64

$1.88 MX$32.87

76.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 DKK 14.53

$1.56 MX$27.19

42.95%

Eggs

$4.23 DKK 27.56

$2.61 MX$45.50

62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 DKK 89.3

$8.32 MX$145

64.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.97 DKK 71.5

$8.35 MX$146

31.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 DKK 104

$10.86 MX$189

46.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 DKK 18.68

$2.71 MX$47.31

5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 DKK 18.65

$1.51 MX$26.25

89.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 DKK 20.04

$1.87 MX$32.67

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 DKK 34.80

$2.19 MX$38.19

143.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 DKK 13.80

$1.86 MX$32.40

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 DKK 10.91

$2.23 MX$38.90

-25.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 DKK 15.80

$1.07 MX$18.63

126.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 DKK 5.38

$1.09 MX$18.94

-23.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 DKK 59.0

$4.19 MX$73.0

116.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 DKK 66.0

$10.43 MX$182

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 DKK 10.83

$1.66 MX$28.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 DKK 13.54

$2.61 MX$45.56

-20.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 DKK 24.84

$0.54 MX$9.45

605.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 DKK 757

$26.16 MX$456

344.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 DKK 40.13

$3.08 MX$53.7

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 DKK 11.37

$2.40 MX$41.94

-27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$62.1 DKK 404

$3.13 MX$54.5

1882.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 DKK 13.78

$1.31 MX$22.87

61.83%

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

$46.4K DKK 302.3K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

55.62%

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

$48.8K DKK 318.3K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

109.40%

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

$161 DKK 1,052

$81.3 MX$1,418

98.51%

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

$15.20 DKK 99.1

$22.56 MX$393

-32.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.37 DKK 250

$30.05 MX$524

27.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.65 DKK 278

$52.9 MX$923

-19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 DKK 191

$18.39 MX$321

59.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 DKK 119

$4.92 MX$85.8

271.54%

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

$606 DKK 3,950

$201 MX$3,502

201.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,135 DKK 27.0K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

-20.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 DKK 679

$35.92 MX$627

190.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 DKK 231

$40.13 MX$700

-11.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 DKK 781

$79.7 MX$1,390

50.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$200 DKK 1,302

$86.5 MX$1,508

131.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 DKK 6,531

$978 MX$17.1K

2.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 DKK 6,613

$470 MX$8,206

115.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 DKK 11.6K

$1,651 MX$28.8K

7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 DKK 10.1K

$1,203 MX$21.0K

29.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,191 DKK 40.3K

$3,953 MX$69.0K

56.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,821 DKK 31.4K

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-27.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,695 DKK 17.6K

$677 MX$11.8K

298.37%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Helsingor and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingor pays 298% 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: $108 in Helsingor vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 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

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 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 298% higher in Helsingor, 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: $1,002 in Helsingor versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $606 in Helsingor 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 41% higher in Helsingor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,378 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 89% less than in Helsingor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.