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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,963 in Birkerød, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,914 in Birkerød, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,865 in Birkerød, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 35% cheaper than Birkerød, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Playa del Carmen sits 5% below the global median, while Birkerød is 46% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$11.52 DKK 74.2

3.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$52.7 DKK 339

-18.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$11.89 DKK 76.6

-10.43%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$4.53 DKK 29.19

-23.84%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.74 DKK 24.09

-59.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$2.73 DKK 17.55

-65.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$6.36 DKK 40.97

-52.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.81 DKK 24.52

21.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.97 DKK 12.69

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.03 DKK 19.49

-38.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.07 DKK 13.33

-22.22%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$5.28 DKK 33.98

-50.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$8.76 DKK 56.5

-5.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.51 DKK 48.39

11.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.70 DKK 88.3

-22.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.27 DKK 21.07

-19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.52 DKK 16.23

-40.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.74 DKK 24.07

-48.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.37 DKK 15.24

-11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.98 DKK 12.74

-6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.13 DKK 13.69

6.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.24 DKK 14.46

-52.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.07 DKK 6.89

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$10.27 DKK 66.2

-59.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.68 DKK 75.2

-11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.81 DKK 11.67

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$0.81 DKK 5.19

222.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$3.77 DKK 24.27

-85.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$78.3 DKK 504

-65.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$7.74 DKK 49.85

-59.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.65 DKK 10.63

52.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$109 DKK 699

-97.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.25 DKK 14.50

-43.56%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$50.5K DKK 325.0K

-39.80%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$51.0K DKK 328.2K

-53.76%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$199 DKK 1,282

-58.29%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.32 DKK 112

31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$42.53 DKK 274

-30.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$42.28 DKK 272

20.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$29.34 DKK 189

-37.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$19.87 DKK 128

-75.19%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$596 DKK 3,838

-66.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$5,964 DKK 38.4K

-11.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$128 DKK 827

-71.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$53.7 DKK 346

-25.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$141 DKK 909

-43.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$192 DKK 1,235

-53.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$923 DKK 5,943

3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$698 DKK 4,493

-31.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,546 DKK 9,959

6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,164 DKK 7,497

5.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$5,242 DKK 33.8K

-25.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$3,754 DKK 24.2K

72.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.19

172.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Birkerød: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $923 in Birkerød. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $53.0 in Birkerød. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $309 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Birkerød: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $1,963 in Birkerød – roughly 54% apart. Birkerød costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,944 in Birkerød. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,963 in Birkerød. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 190% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Birkerød at $1,963. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Birkerød it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $1,963 in Birkerød. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Birkerød makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.