Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,435 in Al Khobar, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Al Khobar outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

68

Cost of Living Index in Al Khobar
Learn more

Al Khobar Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Al Khobar

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,435

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al Khobar 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 Khobar and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,435 in Al Khobar versus $1,215 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Khobar $1,435
Playa del Carmen $1,215

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,239 in Al Khobar versus $2,144 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Khobar $2,239
Playa del Carmen $2,144

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,043 in Al Khobar versus $3,072 in Playa del Carmen.

Al Khobar $3,043
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 18% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 7% above, Playa del Carmen is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 SAR 25.46

$10.97 MX$201

-38.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.9 SAR 221

$44.85 MX$823

31.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 SAR 30.34

$11.92 MX$219

-32.21%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 SAR 10.14

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 SAR 10.19

Cappuccino

$4.51 SAR 16.92

$3.80 MX$69.9

18.68%

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

$0.92 SAR 3.45

$1.31 MX$24.08

-29.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 SAR 1.52

$0.86 MX$15.72

-53.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.46 MX$26.77

16.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$2.33 MX$42.72

-45.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 SAR 9.59

$1.44 MX$26.48

77.08%

Eggs

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$2.46 MX$45.20

-2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 SAR 26.69

$7.70 MX$141

-7.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.30 SAR 38.68

$7.89 MX$145

30.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 SAR 43.52

$12.80 MX$235

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 SAR 10.40

$2.92 MX$53.6

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.42 MX$26.11

25.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.42

$2.57 MX$47.10

-22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.86

$2.14 MX$39.24

-14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.10

$1.95 MX$35.75

-30.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 SAR 6.26

$1.94 MX$35.55

-13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

$1.15 MX$21.13

46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.05

$1.22 MX$22.42

-54.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.68 SAR 10.07

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SAR 6.21

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 SAR 24.84

$4.38 MX$80.3

50.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 SAR 2.77

$0.52 MX$9.64

42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 SAR 252

$27.42 MX$503

144.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 SAR 12.68

$4.91 MX$90.2

-31.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 SAR 10.20

$3.52 MX$64.7

-22.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 SAR 25.67

$5.69 MX$104

20.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.54 MX$28.27

-58.44%

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

$66.1K SAR 248.1K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

211.03%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

-7.80%

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

$99.2 SAR 372

$83.6 MX$1,535

18.62%

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

$32.92 SAR 124

$24.03 MX$441

37.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 SAR 262

$29.33 MX$539

137.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.9 SAR 304

$64.9 MX$1,191

24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.24 SAR 136

$29.46 MX$541

23.01%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 SAR 57.1

$5.09 MX$93.4

199.02%

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

$602 SAR 2,262

$208 MX$3,813

190.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,315 SAR 31.2K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

105.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 SAR 236

$44.55 MX$818

41.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.7 SAR 314

$42.06 MX$772

98.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 SAR 362

$75.5 MX$1,387

27.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 SAR 347

$91.4 MX$1,678

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 SAR 2,370

$986 MX$18.1K

-36.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 SAR 1,929

$385 MX$7,072

33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 SAR 4,410

$1,713 MX$31.5K

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$855 SAR 3,209

$1,108 MX$20.4K

-22.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,388 SAR 8,966

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-40.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,463 SAR 5,495

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-76.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,872 SAR 7,028

$758 MX$13.9K

146.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.88

11.45

-48.65%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: October 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Al Khobar

$514 36.1%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 25% $129

Groceries & Markets

Al Khobar

$219 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 18.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al Khobar

$202 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 32.1% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Al Khobar

$151 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 24.4% $37

Eating Out

Al Khobar

$138 9.7%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 48% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Al Khobar

$111 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 32.6% $36

Getting Around

Al Khobar

$87 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 40.1% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $631 in Al Khobar and $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 147% 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: $59.0 in Al Khobar vs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $260, with Al Khobar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Al Khobar

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

02:45 2:45 AM

8 h behind Al Khobar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

219,679

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 = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al Khobar Playa del Carmen 13,050 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Al Khobar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 147% higher in Al Khobar, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $631 in Al Khobar versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 144% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $602 in Al Khobar versus $208 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,435 in Al Khobar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Al Khobar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,215 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Al Khobar and Playa del Carmen 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 18% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.