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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,273 in Ballerup.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,590 in Ballerup.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,908 in Ballerup.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 43% less than in Ballerup, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Ballerup is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$23.21 DKK 150

-48.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$123 DKK 790

-61.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$15.44 DKK 99.5

-23.90%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$7.42 DKK 47.81

-44.47%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$4.45 DKK 28.68

-68.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$3.66 DKK 23.61

-75.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$9.60 DKK 61.9

-66.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$7.60 DKK 48.95

-6.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.15 DKK 13.85

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.99 DKK 25.74

-46.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.37 DKK 15.24

-25.32%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$5.02 DKK 32.35

-43.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$16.12 DKK 104

-42.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$11.97 DKK 77.1

-22.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$19.33 DKK 125

-34.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.26 DKK 21.04

-9.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.40 DKK 21.93

-53.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.92 DKK 25.25

-43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$5.47 DKK 35.25

-56.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.34 DKK 15.10

-14.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$2.11 DKK 13.59

-6.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.20 DKK 14.18

-43.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.46 DKK 9.39

-17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$9.91 DKK 63.9

-53.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.56 DKK 68.1

-0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.86 DKK 11.99

-9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.41 DKK 15.56

14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$3.79 DKK 24.40

-84.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$98.4 DKK 634

-69.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$5.99 DKK 38.62

-12.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.74 DKK 11.21

109.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$64.2 DKK 414

-91.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.58 DKK 16.65

-40.31%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$52.9K DKK 340.8K

-56.88%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$54.0K DKK 348.3K

-52.24%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$192 DKK 1,237

-52.77%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$12.24 DKK 78.9

105.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$39.14 DKK 252

-18.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$42.47 DKK 274

61.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$25.35 DKK 163

15.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$20.67 DKK 133

-76.49%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$751 DKK 4,838

-69.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$6,235 DKK 40.2K

-32.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$109 DKK 703

-56.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$49.08 DKK 316

-11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$133 DKK 857

-39.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$196 DKK 1,260

-53.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$964 DKK 6,214

12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$762 DKK 4,910

-46.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,712 DKK 11.0K

15.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,299 DKK 8,372

-1.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$4,896 DKK 31.5K

-17.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$3,526 DKK 22.7K

90.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$6,059 DKK 39.0K

-87.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.7

209.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ballerup: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Ballerup. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballerup pays 684% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $123 in Ballerup for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $410 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, Getting Around. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 684% lower in Ballerup. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $964 in Ballerup. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $751 in Ballerup. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Ballerup. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,273 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 74% less than in Ballerup. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.