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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,307 in Assens.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,577 in Assens.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,847 in Assens.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 45% less than in Assens, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Assens is 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$25.76 DKK 167

-54.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$111 DKK 717

-62.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$15.76 DKK 102

-33.31%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$6.18 DKK 40.01

-41.91%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$3.99 DKK 25.83

-62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$3.05 DKK 19.74

-69.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$7.16 DKK 46.33

-58.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$6.28 DKK 40.65

-29.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.16 DKK 13.96

-35.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$4.47 DKK 28.94

-57.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.66 DKK 17.19

-41.35%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$5.16 DKK 33.40

-49.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$19.25 DKK 125

-56.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$9.43 DKK 61.0

-11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$23.50 DKK 152

-53.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.94 DKK 19.05

-7.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$3.52 DKK 22.81

-57.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.60 DKK 29.77

-59.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$3.47 DKK 22.46

-36.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.27 DKK 14.71

-18.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.75 DKK 11.35

27.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$2.04 DKK 13.18

-47.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.56 DKK 10.13

-30.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$9.81 DKK 63.5

-57.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$10.83 DKK 70.1

-3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.84 DKK 18.38

-41.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$3.96 DKK 25.67

-34.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$3.67 DKK 23.78

-85.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$79.0 DKK 512

-66.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$9.50 DKK 61.5

-67.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.11 DKK 13.64

13.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$65.8 DKK 426

-95.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.23 DKK 14.44

-41.26%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$45.8K DKK 296.5K

-34.90%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$54.8K DKK 355.0K

-57.47%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$308 DKK 1,997

-73.65%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$21.34 DKK 138

5.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$50.7 DKK 328

-40.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$41.03 DKK 266

28.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$29.26 DKK 189

-37.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$23.70 DKK 153

-79.24%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$494 DKK 3,199

-59.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$4,708 DKK 30.5K

9.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$92.9 DKK 602

-61.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.42 DKK 249

4.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$118 DKK 765

-32.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$168 DKK 1,085

-48.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$933 DKK 6,040

4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$701 DKK 4,539

-32.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,527 DKK 9,888

8.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,167 DKK 7,555

3.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$4,394 DKK 28.5K

-10.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$3,042 DKK 19.7K

117.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.62

147.19%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Assens: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $933 in Assens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $111 in Assens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $425 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Assens differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $2,307 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $3,461 in Assens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $933 in Assens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $111 in Assens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,307 in Assens – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,307 in Assens, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Assens. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Assens 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 83% less than in Assens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.