Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-hawiyah: $1,081 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Al-hawiyah
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Al-hawiyah Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Al-hawiyah

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,081

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-hawiyah and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Al-hawiyah and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Al-hawiyah $1,081
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,603 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Al-hawiyah $1,603
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,125 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Al-hawiyah $2,125
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.44 SAR 16.67

$10.76 MX$199

-58.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 SAR 99.5

$43.03 MX$795

-38.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 SAR 25.93

$11.79 MX$218

-41.39%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 SAR 5.91

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 SAR 5.64

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.88

$3.87 MX$71.4

-32.04%

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

$0.70 SAR 2.63

$1.37 MX$25.29

-48.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.84 MX$15.44

-70.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.44 MX$26.55

27.08%

White Bread (500g)

$0.96 SAR 3.60

$2.23 MX$41.23

-56.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$1.47 MX$27.17

49.66%

Eggs

$2.68 SAR 10.04

$2.53 MX$46.71

5.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.85 SAR 21.94

$7.30 MX$135

-19.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 SAR 43.90

$7.86 MX$145

48.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 SAR 49.22

$12.79 MX$236

2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.64

$2.90 MX$53.6

-29.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.92

$1.44 MX$26.53

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.88

$2.55 MX$47.07

-28.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.60

$2.06 MX$38.03

-27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.00 MX$36.97

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.63

$2.01 MX$37.07

-25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

$1.19 MX$22.02

-8.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$1.26 MX$23.23

-41.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.99 SAR 11.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.00 SAR 30.02

$4.40 MX$81.4

81.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.13

$0.57 MX$10.47

92.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.82 SAR 138

$27.82 MX$514

32.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$4.98 MX$92.1

-51.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 SAR 10.10

$3.50 MX$64.6

-23.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.24 SAR 49.67

$5.40 MX$99.8

145.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.47 MX$27.08

-59.86%

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

$43.9K SAR 164.7K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

109.08%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-9.90%

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

$67.1 SAR 252

$84.2 MX$1,556

-20.33%

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

$35.32 SAR 133

$23.99 MX$443

47.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 SAR 235

$29.02 MX$536

115.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 SAR 302

$63.0 MX$1,164

27.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 SAR 56.6

$4.94 MX$91.3

205.47%

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

$423 SAR 1,586

$204 MX$3,763

107.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 SAR 29.5K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

99.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.09 SAR 49.11

$43.60 MX$806

-69.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 SAR 209

$43.12 MX$797

29.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.45 SAR 152

$75.8 MX$1,400

-46.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.5 SAR 197

$88.6 MX$1,637

-40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 SAR 2,162

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-42.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,375

$374 MX$6,911

-2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 SAR 3,098

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-51.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$577 SAR 2,166

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-47.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 SAR 9,023

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-39.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 SAR 5,158

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-77.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.45

-54.15%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Al-hawiyah

$366 33.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 2.1% $7.6

Groceries & Markets

Al-hawiyah

$217 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 18.9% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-hawiyah

$165 15.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 16.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Al-hawiyah

$111 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 34.2% $38

Eating Out

Al-hawiyah

$92 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 121% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Al-hawiyah

$73 6.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 55.2% $40

Getting Around

Al-hawiyah

$57 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 8% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $576 in Al-hawiyah and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $258 per month, with Al-hawiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al-hawiyah

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

17:27 5:27 PM

8 h behind Al-hawiyah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,151

149,923

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Al-hawiyah Playa del Carmen 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-hawiyah
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 12% in total monthly costs ($1,081 vs $1,210 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,621 in Al-hawiyah and $1,816 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: $576 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,008 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 $27.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,081 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,081 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,210 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 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.