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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,407 in Helsingor.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,626 in Helsingor.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,844 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 4% below, Helsingor is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$21.72 DKK 139

-45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$109 DKK 697

-60.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$12.62 DKK 80.6

-16.09%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$6.38 DKK 40.68

-43.26%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$4.66 DKK 29.74

-68.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$3.10 DKK 19.77

-69.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$8.37 DKK 53.4

-63.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$6.74 DKK 42.98

-33.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$2.03 DKK 12.96

-29.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$3.14 DKK 20.06

-40.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.27 DKK 14.49

-28.19%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$4.24 DKK 27.05

-37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$13.58 DKK 86.6

-39.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$10.72 DKK 68.4

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$16.22 DKK 104

-31.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.99 DKK 19.07

-11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$2.99 DKK 19.06

-49.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$3.16 DKK 20.18

-37.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$5.37 DKK 34.27

-61.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$2.06 DKK 13.12

-13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.68 DKK 10.71

29.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$2.30 DKK 14.65

-53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.83 DKK 5.28

25.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$9.14 DKK 58.3

-56.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$10.62 DKK 67.7

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.73 DKK 11.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.06 DKK 13.13

21.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$3.84 DKK 24.49

-86.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$119 DKK 758

-77.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$6.01 DKK 38.35

-47.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.72 DKK 10.98

39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$61.3 DKK 391

-94.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$2.10 DKK 13.41

-39.52%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$46.5K DKK 296.5K

-33.55%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$48.4K DKK 308.5K

-51.78%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$165 DKK 1,054

-50.34%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$15.46 DKK 98.7

45.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$38.31 DKK 244

-22.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$43.23 DKK 276

19.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$29.71 DKK 190

-37.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$18.75 DKK 120

-73.49%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$610 DKK 3,894

-67.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$4,232 DKK 27.0K

24.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$102 DKK 654

-64.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$36.36 DKK 232

10.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$119 DKK 760

-32.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$195 DKK 1,244

-54.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$1,027 DKK 6,552

-6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$1,031 DKK 6,578

-54.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$1,747 DKK 11.1K

-8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$1,549 DKK 9,883

-21.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$6,354 DKK 40.5K

-37.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$4,997 DKK 31.9K

29.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$2,797 DKK 17.8K

-74.24%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Helsingor: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,027 in Helsingor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingor pays 288% 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 $109 in Helsingor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Helsingor earns 288% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,027 in Helsingor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $610 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,407 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 87% less than in Helsingor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.