Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-hawiyah and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,542 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 6% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.84 SAR 25.66

$11.73 MX$203

-41.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.30 SAR 166

$41.62 MX$720

6.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 SAR 29.27

$10.64 MX$184

-26.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.61 SAR 13.54

$3.52 MX$60.9

2.56%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.02

$1.51 MX$26.12

-47.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.07

$0.97 MX$16.84

-70.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 SAR 6.35

$1.38 MX$23.93

22.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$1.89 MX$32.72

-49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$1.64 MX$28.32

38.41%

Eggs

$2.42 SAR 9.09

$2.51 MX$43.34

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 SAR 25.27

$8.34 MX$144

-19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 SAR 28.55

$8.34 MX$144

-8.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 SAR 49.00

$10.73 MX$186

21.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 SAR 8.58

$2.60 MX$45.04

-11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.46 MX$25.20

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

$1.90 MX$32.87

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.84

$2.08 MX$35.91

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.85

$1.78 MX$30.71

-27.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.75

$2.19 MX$37.80

-42.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$1.04 MX$17.99

15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.08

$1.08 MX$18.62

-49.07%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 SAR 25.88

$4.08 MX$70.6

68.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.51 MX$8.81

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.44 SAR 152

$26.46 MX$458

52.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 SAR 10.02

$3.26 MX$56.4

-18.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$2.49 MX$43.09

-23.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.34 SAR 50.1

$3.25 MX$56.2

310.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.43

$1.31 MX$22.61

-50.38%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-12.09%

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

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-5.47%

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

$106 SAR 397

$82.9 MX$1,433

27.55%

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

$34.27 SAR 129

$22.22 MX$384

54.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 SAR 277

$29.34 MX$507

151.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.6 SAR 325

$51.6 MX$893

67.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.20 SAR 136

$18.32 MX$317

97.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 SAR 59.9

$5.07 MX$87.6

214.79%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$201 MX$3,473

74.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

32.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$36.92 MX$639

60.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 SAR 231

$39.79 MX$688

54.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 SAR 292

$78.5 MX$1,357

-0.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.6 SAR 310

$87.1 MX$1,506

-5.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 SAR 1,627

$973 MX$16.8K

-55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 SAR 1,405

$468 MX$8,090

-19.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 SAR 3,252

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 SAR 2,346

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-48.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,091 SAR 7,846

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-47.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,170 SAR 4,390

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-82.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.42

-61.30%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Al-hawiyah and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $249, with Al-hawiyah cheaper for home cooking.

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

Al-hawiyah vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-hawiyah and Playa del Carmen differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,222 vs $1,297 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Al-hawiyah and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $433 in Al-hawiyah versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,222 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.