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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,365 in Helsingor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,636 in Helsingor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,907 in Helsingor.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 46% less than in Helsingor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Helsingor is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$21.30 DKK 137

-44.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$107 DKK 687

-59.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$12.59 DKK 81.1

-15.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$6.27 DKK 40.41

-44.98%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$4.73 DKK 30.44

-68.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$3.20 DKK 20.61

-70.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$8.23 DKK 53.0

-63.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$6.96 DKK 44.81

-33.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.01 DKK 12.95

-31.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$3.15 DKK 20.31

-41.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.30 DKK 14.82

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.07 DKK 26.24

-36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.32 DKK 85.8

-37.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.95 DKK 70.5

-23.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$16.13 DKK 104

-33.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.87 DKK 18.50

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.87 DKK 18.47

-48.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$3.19 DKK 20.56

-39.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$5.50 DKK 35.44

-62.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$2.08 DKK 13.38

-10.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.73 DKK 11.13

30.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$2.35 DKK 15.12

-54.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.77 DKK 4.99

41.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$8.91 DKK 57.4

-53.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$10.63 DKK 68.5

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.69 DKK 10.90

1.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.13 DKK 13.74

22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$3.78 DKK 24.37

-85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$118 DKK 758

-77.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$5.96 DKK 38.38

-47.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.68 DKK 10.84

49.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$62.3 DKK 401

-94.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.21 DKK 14.24

-42.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$46.2K DKK 297.7K

-34.29%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$48.0K DKK 309.1K

-50.90%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$164 DKK 1,056

-49.39%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$15.42 DKK 99.3

47.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$38.25 DKK 246

-22.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$43.02 DKK 277

18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$29.57 DKK 190

-38.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$18.82 DKK 121

-73.80%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$602 DKK 3,880

-67.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,126 DKK 26.6K

27.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$104 DKK 671

-64.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$35.99 DKK 232

10.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$122 DKK 786

-34.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$198 DKK 1,277

-54.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,006 DKK 6,477

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$1,026 DKK 6,607

-53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,743 DKK 11.2K

-5.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$1,577 DKK 10.2K

-22.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$6,402 DKK 41.2K

-38.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$5,072 DKK 32.7K

27.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,768 DKK 17.8K

-75.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.14

175.85%

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 Helsingor: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,006 in Helsingor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingor pays 315% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $107 in Helsingor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $354 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Helsingor earns 315% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,006 in Helsingor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $602 in Helsingor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Helsingor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,365 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 86% less than in Helsingor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.