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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,378 in Helsingor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,656 in Helsingor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,934 in Helsingor.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 47% less than in Helsingor, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Helsingor is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$21.59 DKK 141

-45.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$108 DKK 702

-61.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$12.17 DKK 79.3

-13.64%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$6.31 DKK 41.15

-43.11%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$4.76 DKK 30.99

-68.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$3.12 DKK 20.33

-70.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$8.54 DKK 55.6

-65.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$7.05 DKK 45.94

-37.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$2.02 DKK 13.19

-30.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$3.32 DKK 21.64

-43.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$2.23 DKK 14.53

-30.04%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$4.23 DKK 27.56

-38.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$13.71 DKK 89.3

-39.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$10.97 DKK 71.5

-23.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$15.90 DKK 104

-31.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.87 DKK 18.68

-5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.86 DKK 18.65

-47.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$3.08 DKK 20.04

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$5.34 DKK 34.80

-58.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$2.12 DKK 13.80

-12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.67 DKK 10.91

33.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$2.42 DKK 15.80

-55.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.83 DKK 5.38

31.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$9.06 DKK 59.0

-53.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.13 DKK 66.0

2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.66 DKK 10.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.08 DKK 13.54

25.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$3.81 DKK 24.84

-85.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$116 DKK 757

-77.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$6.16 DKK 40.13

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.74 DKK 11.37

37.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$62.1 DKK 404

-94.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$2.12 DKK 13.78

-38.21%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$46.4K DKK 302.3K

-35.74%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$48.8K DKK 318.3K

-52.25%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$161 DKK 1,052

-49.63%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$15.20 DKK 99.1

48.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$38.37 DKK 250

-21.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$42.65 DKK 278

24.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$29.37 DKK 191

-37.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$18.28 DKK 119

-73.09%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$606 DKK 3,950

-66.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$4,135 DKK 27.0K

25.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$104 DKK 679

-65.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$35.52 DKK 231

12.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$120 DKK 781

-33.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$200 DKK 1,302

-56.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$1,002 DKK 6,531

-2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$1,015 DKK 6,613

-53.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$1,774 DKK 11.6K

-6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$1,553 DKK 10.1K

-22.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$6,191 DKK 40.3K

-36.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$4,821 DKK 31.4K

37.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$2,695 DKK 17.6K

-74.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Helsingor: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,002 in Helsingor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingor pays 298% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $108 in Helsingor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $356 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 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 298% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,002 in Helsingor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $606 in Helsingor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Helsingor. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,378 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 89% less than in Helsingor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.