Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ha'il and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Ha'il versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Ha'il versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,937 in Ha'il versus $3,084 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ha'il 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.61 SAR 24.80

$11.73 MX$202

-43.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.32 SAR 95.0

$41.78 MX$719

-39.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 SAR 25.88

$10.41 MX$179

-33.72%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.18

Cappuccino

$3.25 SAR 12.19

$3.61 MX$62.1

-9.97%

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

$1.00 SAR 3.74

$1.46 MX$25.06

-31.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.19

$0.97 MX$16.70

-67.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.43 MX$24.59

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 SAR 3.25

$1.90 MX$32.70

-54.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.15

$1.57 MX$26.95

21.02%

Eggs

$1.87 SAR 7.00

$2.64 MX$45.34

-29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 SAR 24.45

$8.44 MX$145

-22.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 SAR 33.27

$8.58 MX$148

3.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 SAR 30.76

$11.00 MX$189

-25.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.65

$2.70 MX$46.51

-44.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.51 MX$25.92

3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.69

$1.91 MX$32.93

-34.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 SAR 7.28

$2.17 MX$37.37

-10.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 SAR 5.12

$1.87 MX$32.25

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$2.23 MX$38.43

-29.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

$1.08 MX$18.60

1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 SAR 1.70

$1.07 MX$18.47

-57.94%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.45 SAR 9.21

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 SAR 25.65

$4.16 MX$71.6

64.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$0.55 MX$9.53

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.71 SAR 153

$26.29 MX$452

54.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 SAR 10.28

$3.20 MX$55.0

-14.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.12

$2.46 MX$42.37

-22.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.54 SAR 50.8

$3.20 MX$55.0

323.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.37

$1.32 MX$22.72

-52.27%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.3K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

-12.24%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.1K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

-5.32%

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

$54.1 SAR 203

$81.4 MX$1,400

-33.45%

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

$21.30 SAR 79.9

$22.41 MX$386

-4.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 SAR 178

$29.97 MX$516

57.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 SAR 246

$51.6 MX$887

27.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.00 SAR 131

$18.39 MX$316

90.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.68 SAR 55.1

$5.16 MX$88.9

184.50%

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

$348 SAR 1,305

$202 MX$3,471

72.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,962 SAR 26.1K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

31.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 SAR 223

$35.61 MX$613

66.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 SAR 230

$40.37 MX$695

51.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 SAR 292

$78.6 MX$1,353

-1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 SAR 312

$86.9 MX$1,495

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 SAR 1,850

$950 MX$16.3K

-48.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 SAR 1,220

$478 MX$8,227

-31.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 SAR 1,667

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 SAR 1,324

$1,223 MX$21.0K

-71.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 SAR 8,999

$4,009 MX$69.0K

-40.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,343 SAR 5,041

$6,473 MX$111.4K

-79.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,073 SAR 4,027

$673 MX$11.6K

59.48%

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 Ha'il: June 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $493 in Ha'il and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Ha'il vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $254 per month, with Ha'il 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

Ha'il vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha'il wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ha'il the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ha'il pays 59% 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: $493 in Ha'il versus $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Ha'il versus $202 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,038 in Ha'il versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ha'il but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ha'il the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ha'il delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,038 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ha'il hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ha'il 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 Ha'il gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.