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: $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,491 in Ha'il versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Ha'il versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ha'il costs roughly 17% 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 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 SAR 24.68

$11.72 MX$203

-43.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.76 SAR 96.8

$41.89 MX$725

-38.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 SAR 26.76

$10.51 MX$182

-32.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 SAR 4.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.88

Cappuccino

$3.27 SAR 12.26

$3.59 MX$62.0

-8.91%

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

$1.01 SAR 3.78

$1.51 MX$26.10

-33.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.92 MX$15.83

-65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.40 MX$24.16

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 SAR 3.03

$1.88 MX$32.60

-56.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 SAR 7.18

$1.56 MX$26.97

22.44%

Eggs

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$2.61 MX$45.14

-25.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 SAR 24.89

$8.32 MX$144

-20.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 SAR 33.48

$8.35 MX$145

6.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 SAR 31.86

$10.86 MX$188

-21.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.83

$2.71 MX$46.93

-42.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 SAR 5.69

$1.51 MX$26.04

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.72

$1.87 MX$32.41

-32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 SAR 7.60

$2.19 MX$37.89

-7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

$1.86 MX$32.14

-27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.23 MX$38.59

-30.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.07 MX$18.48

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 SAR 1.85

$1.09 MX$18.79

-55.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 SAR 6.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 SAR 26.34

$4.19 MX$72.4

67.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 SAR 4.07

$0.54 MX$9.37

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 SAR 150

$26.16 MX$453

52.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 SAR 10.16

$3.08 MX$53.3

-12.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

$2.40 MX$41.61

-24.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.09 SAR 49.14

$3.13 MX$54.1

318.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.31 MX$22.69

-54.96%

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

$27.2K SAR 102.0K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-8.85%

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

$22.7K SAR 85.3K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-2.59%

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

$54.0 SAR 203

$81.3 MX$1,406

-33.58%

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

$21.59 SAR 81.1

$22.56 MX$390

-4.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.03 SAR 173

$30.05 MX$520

53.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 SAR 249

$52.9 MX$915

25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.21 SAR 136

$18.39 MX$318

96.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 SAR 55.2

$4.92 MX$85.1

198.78%

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

$352 SAR 1,320

$201 MX$3,474

75.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,085 SAR 26.6K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

36.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 SAR 222

$35.92 MX$622

64.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 SAR 227

$40.13 MX$694

50.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 SAR 292

$79.7 MX$1,379

-2.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 SAR 303

$86.5 MX$1,496

-6.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 SAR 1,871

$978 MX$16.9K

-49.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 SAR 1,241

$470 MX$8,140

-29.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 SAR 1,651

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-73.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 SAR 1,355

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-70.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,366 SAR 8,885

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-40.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 SAR 5,001

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-79.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 SAR 3,994

$677 MX$11.7K

57.20%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Ha'il and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Ha'il vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $252 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 21% 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.

Average pay runs 57% higher in Ha'il, 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: $498 in Ha'il versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $352 in Ha'il versus $201 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 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,041 in Ha'il versus $1,260 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 $1,041 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.