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: $1,172 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,774 in Al-hawiyah versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,375 in Al-hawiyah versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al-hawiyah costs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-hawiyah 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 SAR 25.42

$11.71 MX$199

-42.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.01 SAR 139

$46.59 MX$791

-20.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 SAR 29.45

$11.65 MX$198

-32.70%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 SAR 6.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.37

Cappuccino

$3.43 SAR 12.87

$4.09 MX$69.5

-16.14%

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

$0.82 SAR 3.06

$1.37 MX$23.34

-40.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.83 MX$14.16

-71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 SAR 6.52

$1.73 MX$29.33

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.81

$2.26 MX$38.39

-55.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 SAR 8.00

$1.77 MX$30.05

20.34%

Eggs

$2.33 SAR 8.76

$2.73 MX$46.41

-14.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 SAR 28.23

$9.18 MX$156

-18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 SAR 29.48

$8.92 MX$151

-12.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.03 SAR 48.92

$12.60 MX$214

3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 SAR 8.03

$3.02 MX$51.3

-29.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.10

$1.57 MX$26.68

3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 SAR 5.98

$2.13 MX$36.10

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$2.26 MX$38.46

-29.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 SAR 4.31

$2.00 MX$34.04

-42.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.89

$2.06 MX$35.06

-36.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.49

$1.18 MX$20.04

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.20 MX$20.45

-50.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.59

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 SAR 6.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 SAR 7.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 SAR 24.31

$4.63 MX$78.7

39.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.57 MX$9.74

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.32 SAR 133

$29.83 MX$507

18.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 SAR 11.15

$5.45 MX$92.5

-45.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$3.70 MX$62.9

-51.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.14 SAR 49.33

$5.98 MX$102

119.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$1.55 MX$26.38

-58.06%

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

$44.6K SAR 167.6K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

99.92%

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

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

-17.96%

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

$103 SAR 387

$89.1 MX$1,514

15.49%

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

$32.87 SAR 123

$25.04 MX$425

31.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 SAR 245

$31.50 MX$535

106.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 SAR 310

$67.8 MX$1,151

21.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.50 SAR 141

$28.92 MX$491

29.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$5.05 MX$85.8

165.74%

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

$347 SAR 1,303

$225 MX$3,820

54.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,759 SAR 25.4K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

60.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.88 SAR 187

$47.44 MX$806

5.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 SAR 223

$44.98 MX$764

32.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 SAR 367

$82.0 MX$1,392

19.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 SAR 326

$92.1 MX$1,564

-5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 SAR 2,149

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-46.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,292

$405 MX$6,884

-15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 SAR 3,306

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-54.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 SAR 2,067

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-57.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,308 SAR 8,667

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,388 SAR 5,210

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-79.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

11.45

-52.23%

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

Last update for Al-hawiyah: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $572 in Al-hawiyah and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Al-hawiyah vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $277 per month, with Al-hawiyah 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

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

Al-hawiyah and Playa del Carmen differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,172 vs $1,293 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,759 in Al-hawiyah and $1,940 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: $572 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,069 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 $37.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,172 per month in Al-hawiyah versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,172 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,293 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.