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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,034 in Ballerup.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,648 in Ballerup.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,262 in Ballerup.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 57% less than in Ballerup, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Ballerup is 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$25.40 DKK 163

-53.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$125 DKK 805

-66.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$15.77 DKK 102

-33.99%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$7.05 DKK 45.36

-48.79%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$4.42 DKK 28.44

-66.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$3.08 DKK 19.84

-68.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$9.27 DKK 59.7

-68.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$7.85 DKK 50.5

-41.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.99 DKK 12.79

-28.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$3.29 DKK 21.18

-42.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$2.61 DKK 16.77

-39.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$4.85 DKK 31.22

-45.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$13.32 DKK 85.7

-36.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$10.62 DKK 68.4

-19.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$16.04 DKK 103

-31.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$2.99 DKK 19.24

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$3.31 DKK 21.30

-54.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$3.51 DKK 22.60

-45.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$5.45 DKK 35.09

-60.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$2.36 DKK 15.19

-20.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.80 DKK 11.60

23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$2.25 DKK 14.50

-52.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.85 DKK 5.45

25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$9.92 DKK 63.9

-58.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$10.52 DKK 67.7

-2.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.78 DKK 11.48

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.13 DKK 13.68

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$3.79 DKK 24.41

-85.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$78.6 DKK 506

-66.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$7.62 DKK 49.08

-58.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.76 DKK 11.31

39.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$62.1 DKK 400

-94.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$2.20 DKK 14.13

-40.00%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$48.2K DKK 310.5K

-37.50%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$49.2K DKK 316.7K

-52.45%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$197 DKK 1,265

-58.62%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$17.61 DKK 113

27.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$42.49 DKK 274

-29.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$40.85 DKK 263

26.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$29.37 DKK 189

-37.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$18.53 DKK 119

-72.15%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$592 DKK 3,810

-65.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$5,858 DKK 37.7K

-9.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$102 DKK 659

-65.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$35.36 DKK 228

14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$120 DKK 776

-34.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$195 DKK 1,253

-55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$2,360 DKK 15.2K

-59.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$1,549 DKK 9,968

-69.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$3,118 DKK 20.1K

-48.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$2,742 DKK 17.7K

-55.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$4,199 DKK 27.0K

-4.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$4,124 DKK 26.5K

56.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$5,987 DKK 38.5K

-88.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.38

160.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $2,360 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 790% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $125 in Ballerup for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $364 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 Ballerup: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ballerup earns 790% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,360 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $592 in Ballerup. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,034 in Ballerup, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ballerup. 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 Ballerup, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ballerup 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 134% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.