Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Al Khobar and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,341 in Al Khobar versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,136 in Al Khobar versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Al Khobar versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 4% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al Khobar is 0% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 SAR 25.51

$11.94 MX$209

-43.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.4 SAR 196

$42.75 MX$748

22.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 SAR 29.27

$10.59 MX$185

-26.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 SAR 7.63

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 SAR 10.23

Cappuccino

$4.23 SAR 15.84

$3.62 MX$63.4

16.85%

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

$1.02 SAR 3.84

$1.47 MX$25.69

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.83

$0.94 MX$16.51

-47.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$1.43 MX$24.94

23.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SAR 5.02

$1.88 MX$32.97

-28.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.01

$1.63 MX$28.50

47.24%

Eggs

$2.82 SAR 10.57

$2.64 MX$46.26

6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 SAR 25.80

$8.21 MX$144

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 SAR 33.93

$8.29 MX$145

9.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.37 SAR 46.39

$11.10 MX$194

11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$2.65 MX$46.40

-8.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.47

$1.50 MX$26.26

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$1.99 MX$34.79

11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.08 MX$36.33

-22.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 SAR 5.36

$1.79 MX$31.29

-20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.46

$2.18 MX$38.09

-21.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.40

$1.08 MX$18.84

58.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.04 MX$18.15

-43.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.72 SAR 10.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 SAR 7.02

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 SAR 24.71

$3.97 MX$69.5

65.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 SAR 3.40

$0.52 MX$9.07

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 SAR 223

$26.97 MX$472

120.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 SAR 8.29

$3.14 MX$55.0

-29.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$2.40 MX$42.04

-45.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.69 SAR 25.08

$3.09 MX$54.0

116.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.27 MX$22.28

-50.39%

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

$21.0K SAR 78.7K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-32.01%

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

$23.1K SAR 86.5K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-1.07%

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

$123 SAR 461

$82.0 MX$1,435

49.84%

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

$34.30 SAR 129

$22.45 MX$393

52.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 SAR 303

$29.66 MX$519

172.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 409

$51.9 MX$908

110.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.07 SAR 135

$18.67 MX$327

93.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 SAR 64.3

$4.97 MX$87.0

245.07%

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

$306 SAR 1,147

$198 MX$3,462

54.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,552 SAR 28.3K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

43.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 SAR 236

$36.34 MX$636

73.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.8 SAR 258

$40.05 MX$701

71.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 SAR 372

$79.9 MX$1,398

24.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 SAR 297

$88.9 MX$1,555

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,639

$963 MX$16.9K

-54.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 SAR 1,479

$465 MX$8,133

-15.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 SAR 3,952

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 SAR 2,955

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-34.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 SAR 9,040

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-38.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,432 SAR 5,370

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-77.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,942 SAR 7,283

$720 MX$12.6K

169.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

11.42

-66.37%

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

Last update for Al Khobar: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Al Khobar and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 170% 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: $52.0 in Al Khobar vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $216 vs $251, with Al Khobar 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 Khobar vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% 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.

Al Khobar pays 170% more on average, 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: $437 in Al Khobar versus $963 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 121% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $306 in Al Khobar versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,341 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 $1,287 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 4% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.