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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,868 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,903 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,939 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 31% cheaper than Helsingborg, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Helsingborg is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$15.51 SEK 148

-24.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$74.1 SEK 709

-37.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$14.50 SEK 139

-19.66%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$4.79 SEK 45.86

-14.61%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$2.96 SEK 28.27

-53.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$2.62 SEK 25.06

-68.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$7.73 SEK 73.9

-56.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$6.60 SEK 63.2

4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.47 SEK 14.09

17.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$2.96 SEK 28.34

-23.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$3.18 SEK 30.45

-44.34%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$4.79 SEK 45.84

-43.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$11.54 SEK 110

-20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$11.37 SEK 109

-21.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.54 SEK 149

-18.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.90 SEK 27.77

4.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$3.12 SEK 29.82

-49.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$3.23 SEK 30.91

-34.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$4.25 SEK 40.64

-46.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.47 SEK 14.07

36.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.61 SEK 15.39

27.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$1.92 SEK 18.40

-38.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.88 SEK 17.98

-36.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$8.96 SEK 85.7

-48.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$9.51 SEK 91.0

12.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$2.51 SEK 23.97

-35.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.68 SEK 25.60

7.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$3.42 SEK 32.73

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$65.4 SEK 626

-54.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$5.35 SEK 51.2

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.84 SEK 17.61

-15.76%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$34.2K SEK 327.3K

-34.75%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$34.1K SEK 326.6K

-23.99%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$149 SEK 1,428

-40.29%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$27.90 SEK 267

-10.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$33.93 SEK 325

-7.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$39.77 SEK 380

70.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$23.28 SEK 223

24.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$15.62 SEK 149

-67.67%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$180 SEK 1,721

25.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$82.8 SEK 792

-42.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$45.24 SEK 433

-0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$93.0 SEK 890

-11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$114 SEK 1,092

-19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$872 SEK 8,337

22.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$665 SEK 6,363

-39.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,395 SEK 13.3K

38.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,132 SEK 10.8K

14.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,141 SEK 30.0K

27.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$2,387 SEK 22.8K

177.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$3,032 SEK 29.0K

-75.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.93

191.35%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $872 in Helsingborg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 305% higher in Helsingborg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $74.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $357 – 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 Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $1,868 in Helsingborg – roughly 44% apart. Helsingborg costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,802 in Helsingborg. 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.

Public transport costs about 119% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $225 per month in Playa del Carmen and $180 in Helsingborg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Helsingborg at $1,868. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Helsingborg 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 $1,293 in Playa del Carmen to $1,868 in Helsingborg. 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, Helsingborg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.