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: $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,854 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,504 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 10% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 SAR 24.50

$11.99 MX$210

-45.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.75 SAR 164

$41.78 MX$733

4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 SAR 29.72

$10.75 MX$189

-26.42%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.66

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.71 SAR 13.92

$3.50 MX$61.3

6.00%

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

$0.80 SAR 2.99

$1.45 MX$25.41

-44.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 SAR 1.17

$0.88 MX$15.52

-64.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SAR 6.18

$1.43 MX$25.12

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 SAR 3.82

$1.84 MX$32.23

-44.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 SAR 8.71

$1.57 MX$27.51

47.77%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.05

$2.51 MX$44.06

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 SAR 26.24

$8.28 MX$145

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 SAR 28.48

$8.43 MX$148

-10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 SAR 48.23

$10.68 MX$187

20.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.52

$2.61 MX$45.76

-13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 SAR 6.22

$1.44 MX$25.22

15.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

$1.96 MX$34.41

-11.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$2.09 MX$36.74

-24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 SAR 4.65

$1.85 MX$32.47

-32.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$2.17 MX$38.02

-41.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.45

$1.03 MX$18.09

15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.07 MX$18.84

-48.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.02 SAR 11.36

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 SAR 7.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 SAR 25.76

$4.10 MX$72.0

67.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.51 MX$8.93

105.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.56 SAR 149

$26.04 MX$457

51.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 SAR 9.75

$3.23 MX$56.7

-19.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$2.41 MX$42.19

-21.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.4

$3.23 MX$56.6

315.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 SAR 2.24

$1.32 MX$23.17

-54.55%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.6K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-10.70%

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

$22.3K SAR 83.7K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-5.85%

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

$105 SAR 393

$82.0 MX$1,439

27.57%

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

$33.27 SAR 125

$22.95 MX$403

44.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 SAR 269

$30.11 MX$528

137.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.9 SAR 334

$52.0 MX$912

71.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.66 SAR 134

$18.53 MX$325

92.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 SAR 57.8

$4.98 MX$87.3

209.24%

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

$350 SAR 1,313

$197 MX$3,463

77.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,026 SAR 26.4K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

31.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 SAR 219

$35.60 MX$624

63.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 SAR 228

$40.33 MX$707

50.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 SAR 292

$78.8 MX$1,381

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 312

$88.9 MX$1,560

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 SAR 1,619

$947 MX$16.6K

-54.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,451

$474 MX$8,314

-18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,187

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-48.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 SAR 2,317

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-49.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,514 SAR 9,441

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-38.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,367 SAR 5,135

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-78.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $431 in Al-hawiyah and $947 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 $197 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 4% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $1,256 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,805 in Al-hawiyah and $1,884 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: $431 in Al-hawiyah versus $947 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 $1,204 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,256 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.