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: $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Ha'il versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,925 in Ha'il versus $3,082 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 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 SAR 25.60

$11.94 MX$209

-42.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.28 SAR 94.8

$42.75 MX$748

-40.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 SAR 26.97

$10.59 MX$185

-32.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 SAR 3.93

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 SAR 8.17

Cappuccino

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$3.62 MX$63.4

-9.12%

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

$1.04 SAR 3.92

$1.47 MX$25.69

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 SAR 1.20

$0.94 MX$16.51

-65.96%

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)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.43 MX$24.94

20.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 SAR 3.17

$1.88 MX$32.97

-55.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 SAR 6.85

$1.63 MX$28.50

12.27%

Eggs

$1.97 SAR 7.40

$2.64 MX$46.26

-25.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 SAR 25.03

$8.21 MX$144

-18.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 SAR 33.42

$8.29 MX$145

7.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.23 SAR 30.85

$11.10 MX$194

-25.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.65 MX$46.40

-41.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 SAR 5.62

$1.50 MX$26.26

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.86

$1.99 MX$34.79

-34.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 SAR 7.34

$2.08 MX$36.33

-5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.90

$1.79 MX$31.29

-26.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

$2.18 MX$38.09

-25.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 SAR 3.96

$1.08 MX$18.84

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 SAR 1.82

$1.04 MX$18.15

-53.85%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.57 SAR 9.65

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.20 SAR 26.98

$3.97 MX$69.5

81.36%

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)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.52 MX$9.07

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.36 SAR 148

$26.97 MX$472

45.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 SAR 10.08

$3.14 MX$55.0

-14.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 SAR 7.11

$2.40 MX$42.04

-20.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.46 SAR 50.5

$3.09 MX$54.0

335.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.36

$1.27 MX$22.28

-50.39%

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

$26.6K SAR 99.6K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-14.03%

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

$22.1K SAR 82.9K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

-5.21%

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

$52.5 SAR 197

$82.0 MX$1,435

-36.02%

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

$21.05 SAR 78.9

$22.45 MX$393

-6.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.26 SAR 177

$29.66 MX$519

59.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.0 SAR 251

$51.9 MX$908

29.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.14 SAR 132

$18.67 MX$327

88.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 SAR 55.1

$4.97 MX$87.0

195.57%

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

$360 SAR 1,350

$198 MX$3,462

82.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,874 SAR 25.8K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

30.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.3 SAR 226

$36.34 MX$636

65.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$40.05 MX$701

53.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 SAR 293

$79.9 MX$1,398

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 SAR 311

$88.9 MX$1,555

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 SAR 1,813

$963 MX$16.9K

-49.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 SAR 1,234

$465 MX$8,133

-29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 SAR 1,680

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-71.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$1,209 MX$21.2K

-70.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,369 SAR 8,883

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-39.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 SAR 4,926

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-79.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,052 SAR 3,944

$720 MX$12.6K

46.00%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $483 in Ha'il and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ha'il pays 46% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $251 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 26% 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 46% 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: $483 in Ha'il versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $360 in Ha'il versus $198 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 $1,024 in Ha'il versus $1,287 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 $1,024 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 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.