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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,538 in Helsingor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,887 in Helsingor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,237 in Helsingor.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 49% less than in Helsingor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Helsingor is 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$23.03 DKK 148

-48.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$116 DKK 747

-59.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$15.77 DKK 102

-25.49%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$6.41 DKK 41.29

-35.73%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$4.32 DKK 27.84

-67.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$3.63 DKK 23.38

-74.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$8.51 DKK 54.8

-62.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$7.68 DKK 49.52

-7.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$2.02 DKK 13.03

-16.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.87 DKK 24.95

-44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.36 DKK 15.24

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$4.34 DKK 27.94

-35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$15.42 DKK 99.4

-40.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$12.01 DKK 77.4

-23.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$18.72 DKK 121

-32.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.42 DKK 22.02

-13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.57 DKK 23.03

-55.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.92 DKK 25.28

-43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$4.39 DKK 28.30

-46.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$2.01 DKK 12.95

-1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.84 DKK 11.87

7.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$2.11 DKK 13.60

-41.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.01 DKK 6.51

19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$9.41 DKK 60.6

-51.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.37 DKK 66.8

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.70 DKK 10.93

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.27 DKK 14.64

22.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$3.82 DKK 24.63

-84.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$125 DKK 806

-76.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$6.11 DKK 39.36

-14.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$1.73 DKK 11.15

110.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$65.4 DKK 421

-91.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.53 DKK 16.31

-39.13%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$52.0K DKK 334.9K

-56.12%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$55.8K DKK 359.4K

-53.72%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$221 DKK 1,424

-58.96%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$12.26 DKK 79.0

105.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$36.27 DKK 234

-12.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$51.3 DKK 330

34.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$33.85 DKK 218

-13.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$18.69 DKK 120

-74.00%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$526 DKK 3,389

-57.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$4,240 DKK 27.3K

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$121 DKK 782

-60.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$49.40 DKK 318

-12.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$146 DKK 940

-45.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$198 DKK 1,277

-53.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$1,010 DKK 6,507

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$1,022 DKK 6,588

-60.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,781 DKK 11.5K

10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,577 DKK 10.2K

-18.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$6,378 DKK 41.1K

-36.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$4,987 DKK 32.1K

34.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$2,844 DKK 18.3K

-72.81%

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 Helsingor: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $1,010 in Helsingor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingor pays 268% 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 $116 in Helsingor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $388 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 Helsingor: 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 268% lower in Helsingor. 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 $1,010 in Helsingor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $526 in Helsingor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Helsingor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,538 in Helsingor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Helsingor. 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 Helsingor, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Helsingor 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 95% less than in Helsingor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.