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: $1,346 in Al Khobar versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,152 in Al Khobar versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,958 in Al Khobar versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Al Khobar is roughly 6% 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 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 SAR 25.03

$11.87 MX$204

-43.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 SAR 198

$42.90 MX$736

22.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 SAR 30.18

$10.65 MX$183

-24.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 SAR 10.09

Cappuccino

$4.34 SAR 16.30

$3.45 MX$59.2

25.80%

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

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$1.50 MX$25.81

-37.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 SAR 1.92

$0.95 MX$16.28

-46.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

$1.38 MX$23.61

23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 SAR 5.25

$1.85 MX$31.70

-24.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 SAR 8.64

$1.61 MX$27.65

42.86%

Eggs

$2.92 SAR 10.96

$2.59 MX$44.51

12.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.70 SAR 25.15

$8.26 MX$142

-18.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 SAR 34.81

$8.37 MX$144

10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 SAR 47.21

$10.66 MX$183

18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 SAR 9.33

$2.63 MX$45.12

-5.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.54

$1.49 MX$25.53

16.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$1.92 MX$32.94

16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.10

$2.09 MX$35.81

-22.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 SAR 5.33

$1.86 MX$31.88

-23.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$2.26 MX$38.81

-23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

$1.06 MX$18.23

61.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$1.09 MX$18.67

-42.20%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.61 SAR 9.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 SAR 5.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 SAR 7.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.55

$4.15 MX$71.2

64.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 SAR 3.63

$0.54 MX$9.30

79.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.2 SAR 230

$26.94 MX$462

127.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 SAR 8.21

$3.13 MX$53.7

-30.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.51 MX$43.09

-48.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 SAR 24.62

$3.15 MX$54.1

108.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.27 MX$21.88

-51.97%

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

$21.5K SAR 80.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-29.07%

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

$23.4K SAR 87.8K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-0.66%

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

$125 SAR 468

$83.0 MX$1,425

50.29%

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

$34.88 SAR 131

$22.71 MX$390

53.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.1 SAR 304

$29.46 MX$506

175.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 SAR 410

$51.0 MX$875

114.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.43 SAR 137

$18.33 MX$315

98.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 SAR 66.3

$4.93 MX$84.5

258.22%

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

$304 SAR 1,140

$197 MX$3,386

53.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,640 SAR 28.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

44.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 SAR 242

$36.90 MX$633

74.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.2 SAR 260

$39.89 MX$685

73.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 SAR 373

$80.0 MX$1,373

24.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 SAR 293

$89.5 MX$1,536

-12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 SAR 1,648

$956 MX$16.4K

-54.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 SAR 1,521

$477 MX$8,189

-15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 SAR 3,829

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 SAR 3,043

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-33.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,399 SAR 9,003

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-38.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,466 SAR 5,502

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-77.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,861 SAR 6,983

$667 MX$11.4K

178.98%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Al Khobar and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Khobar pays 179% 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: $53.0 in Al Khobar vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $250, 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 6% 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 179% 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: $439 in Al Khobar versus $956 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 127% less than in Al Khobar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Al Khobar versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,346 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 $1,271 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 6% less than in Al Khobar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.