Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Assens

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,068 in Assens, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Assens
🇩🇰 Denmark
$2,068
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Assens

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Assens actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,068 in Assens.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Assens $2,068

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,357 in Assens.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Assens $3,357

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,645 in Assens.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Assens $4,645

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 41% less than in Assens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Assens is 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$20.97 DKK 140
-48.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$797
$106 DKK 707
-59.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$14.73 DKK 98.2
-19.96%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.6
$6.20 DKK 41.38
-37.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.36
$4.04 DKK 26.94
-66.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.49
$2.79 DKK 18.59
-69.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.5
$7.50 DKK 50.0
-58.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.9
$6.38 DKK 42.56
-20.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.62
$2.00 DKK 13.35
-28.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.34
$3.15 DKK 21.04
-29.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.25
$2.67 DKK 17.78
-44.94%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.84
$5.02 DKK 33.45
-49.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$16.58 DKK 111
-55.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$146
$11.40 DKK 76.0
-31.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$237
$22.95 DKK 153
-44.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.7
$3.02 DKK 20.16
-3.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.60
$3.70 DKK 24.70
-61.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.20
$4.25 DKK 28.33
-40.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.13
$4.52 DKK 30.17
-54.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$37.07
$2.31 DKK 15.42
-13.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.17
$1.95 DKK 12.98
3.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.08
$1.98 DKK 13.19
-39.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.29
$1.40 DKK 9.34
-10.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.6
$9.96 DKK 66.4
-55.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$178
$10.65 DKK 71.0
-9.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.50
$1.70 DKK 11.36
-6.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$52.1
$2.70 DKK 18.00
4.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.49
$3.86 DKK 25.74
-85.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$516
$80.4 DKK 536
-65.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.4
$8.74 DKK 58.3
-43.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.8
$2.11 DKK 14.10
65.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$100
$66.8 DKK 446
-91.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.15
$2.05 DKK 13.68
-28.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$388.9K
$49.1K DKK 327.5K
-57.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$443.0K
$54.7K DKK 364.7K
-56.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,560
$217 DKK 1,445
-61.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$444
$14.55 DKK 97.1
64.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$538
$44.59 DKK 297
-34.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,167
$36.97 DKK 247
70.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$540
$23.67 DKK 158
23.11%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.6
$22.57 DKK 151
-78.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,773
$531 DKK 3,544
-61.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$73.0K
$4,522 DKK 30.2K
-12.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$808
$102 DKK 680
-57.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$799
$49.45 DKK 330
-12.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,404
$113 DKK 755
-33.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,642
$166 DKK 1,105
-46.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.7K
$911 DKK 6,077
10.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,931
$632 DKK 4,217
-40.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.7K
$1,543 DKK 10.3K
10.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.5K
$1,284 DKK 8,566
-13.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$73.1K
$5,190 DKK 34.6K
-24.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.3K
$3,968 DKK 26.5K
55.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Assens
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$14.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.24
170.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Assens: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Assens
$632 69% $258
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Assens
$406 56.9% $147
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Assens
$364 79.9% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Assens
$276 101% $139
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Assens
$194 71.4% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Assens
$82 12.7% $9.3
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Assens
$115 119% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $911 in Assens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $106 in Assens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $406 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇩🇰 Assens
🕒 Local time
10:37 10:37 AM
17:37 5:37 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
6,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DKK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.53 MXN (100 MXN = 5.4 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Danish Krone exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 DKK (1 DKK = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.47 DKK (1 DKK = 0.134 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Assens 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Assens

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Assens?
Playa del Carmen and Assens differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,210 vs $2,068 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Assens?
You'd need roughly $1,816 in Playa del Carmen and $3,103 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Assens?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $911 in Assens. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $106 in Assens. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Assens?
All in, you'll spend $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,068 in Assens – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,068 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.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Assens?
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.
Is Playa del Carmen or Assens safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Assens?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Assens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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