Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hafar Al Batin and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,348 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hafar Al Batin costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hafar Al Batin 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.37 SAR 20.18

$11.72 MX$203

-54.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.16 SAR 98.2

$41.89 MX$725

-37.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 SAR 24.04

$10.51 MX$182

-39.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 SAR 6.62

Cappuccino

$3.54 SAR 13.29

$3.59 MX$62.0

-1.39%

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

$0.64 SAR 2.40

$1.51 MX$26.10

-57.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.91

$0.92 MX$15.83

-73.91%

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)

$1.96 SAR 7.34

$1.40 MX$24.16

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 SAR 3.72

$1.88 MX$32.60

-47.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 SAR 8.95

$1.56 MX$26.97

52.56%

Eggs

$2.46 SAR 9.23

$2.61 MX$45.14

-5.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 SAR 26.43

$8.32 MX$144

-15.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 SAR 28.08

$8.35 MX$145

-10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 SAR 49.69

$10.86 MX$188

21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 SAR 8.51

$2.71 MX$46.93

-16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.14

$1.51 MX$26.04

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 SAR 6.48

$1.87 MX$32.41

-7.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 SAR 6.02

$2.19 MX$37.89

-26.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.83

$1.86 MX$32.14

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.79

$2.23 MX$38.59

-42.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.07 MX$18.48

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.23

$1.09 MX$18.79

-45.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.89 SAR 10.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.54

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 SAR 26.02

$4.19 MX$72.4

65.39%

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)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.54 MX$9.37

92.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.05 SAR 150

$26.16 MX$453

53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 SAR 10.25

$3.08 MX$53.3

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 SAR 7.23

$2.40 MX$41.61

-19.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.37

$3.13 MX$54.1

320.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$1.31 MX$22.69

-48.85%

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

$26.5K SAR 99.4K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-11.22%

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

$22.0K SAR 82.6K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-5.71%

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

$105 SAR 394

$81.3 MX$1,406

29.07%

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

$33.09 SAR 124

$22.56 MX$390

46.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 SAR 272

$30.05 MX$520

141.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.2 SAR 331

$52.9 MX$915

66.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.45 SAR 133

$18.39 MX$318

92.77%

Cinema Ticket

$15.51 SAR 58.2

$4.92 MX$85.1

215.24%

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

$347 SAR 1,302

$201 MX$3,474

72.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,004 SAR 26.3K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 SAR 223

$35.92 MX$622

65.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 SAR 226

$40.13 MX$694

49.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 SAR 295

$79.7 MX$1,379

-1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.8 SAR 307

$86.5 MX$1,496

-5.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 SAR 1,657

$978 MX$16.9K

-54.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 SAR 1,411

$470 MX$8,140

-20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 SAR 3,188

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-48.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 SAR 2,315

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-48.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,667 SAR 10.0K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 SAR 5,204

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-79.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,422 SAR 5,341

$677 MX$11.7K

110.21%

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 Hafar Al Batin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $441 in Hafar Al Batin and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 110% 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 Hafar Al Batin vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $252 per month, with Hafar Al Batin 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

Hafar Al Batin vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hafar Al Batin wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hafar Al Batin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 110% higher in Hafar Al Batin, 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: $441 in Hafar Al Batin versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Hafar Al Batin 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 25% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,213 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hafar Al Batin but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hafar Al Batin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hafar Al Batin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,213 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hafar Al Batin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hafar Al Batin 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 Hafar Al Batin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.