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: $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,581 in Ha'il versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,152 in Ha'il versus $3,292 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 26% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.21 SAR 19.57

$11.60 MX$199

-55.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.78 SAR 142

$47.11 MX$809

-19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 SAR 22.98

$11.88 MX$204

-48.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 SAR 4.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.52

Cappuccino

$2.63 SAR 9.87

$3.98 MX$68.2

-33.92%

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

$0.61 SAR 2.29

$1.43 MX$24.49

-57.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.89

$0.82 MX$14.16

-70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.68 MX$28.76

2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 SAR 3.16

$2.20 MX$37.71

-61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 SAR 7.10

$1.71 MX$29.32

10.53%

Eggs

$1.94 SAR 7.27

$2.74 MX$47.05

-29.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.63

$9.58 MX$164

-28.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 SAR 32.01

$9.01 MX$155

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 SAR 31.06

$12.81 MX$220

-35.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

$2.89 MX$49.58

-46.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$1.50 MX$25.70

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 SAR 4.68

$2.15 MX$36.87

-41.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 SAR 7.68

$2.26 MX$38.79

-9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 SAR 4.94

$1.98 MX$34.00

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$1.99 MX$34.15

-19.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 SAR 4.29

$1.23 MX$21.18

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.82

$1.20 MX$20.54

-60.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.74 SAR 10.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.34

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SAR 8.07

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 SAR 24.29

$4.55 MX$78.1

42.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$0.60 MX$10.30

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.42 SAR 137

$28.80 MX$494

26.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 SAR 10.77

$5.39 MX$92.5

-46.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

$3.73 MX$64.0

-51.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 SAR 50.4

$5.77 MX$99.0

132.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.61 SAR 2.27

$1.54 MX$26.37

-60.39%

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

$45.0K SAR 169.0K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

99.61%

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

$21.6K SAR 81.3K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

-16.92%

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

$54.2 SAR 204

$91.4 MX$1,569

-40.65%

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

$21.14 SAR 79.4

$25.20 MX$433

-16.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.43 SAR 174

$31.24 MX$536

48.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.4 SAR 249

$67.2 MX$1,154

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.77 SAR 138

$29.11 MX$500

26.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 SAR 56.0

$4.86 MX$83.5

207.00%

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

$349 SAR 1,311

$224 MX$3,839

56.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,537 SAR 24.5K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

54.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 SAR 191

$47.10 MX$808

7.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 SAR 221

$44.29 MX$760

33.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 SAR 365

$80.1 MX$1,375

21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 SAR 337

$92.7 MX$1,591

-3.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$243 SAR 912

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-77.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 SAR 1,292

$390 MX$6,698

-11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 SAR 1,374

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-82.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 SAR 2,030

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-57.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 SAR 8,874

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-40.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,352 SAR 5,076

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-79.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 SAR 4,070

$758 MX$13.0K

42.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

11.45

-52.23%

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

Last update for Ha'il: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $243 in Ha'il and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Ha'il vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $276 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.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $243 in Ha'il versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ha'il versus $224 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 54% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,011 in Ha'il versus $1,266 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 $1,011 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.