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: $1,157 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,751 in Hafar Al Batin versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,345 in Hafar Al Batin versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hafar Al Batin costs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hafar Al Batin 15% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 SAR 24.31

$11.60 MX$200

-44.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 SAR 140

$47.11 MX$812

-20.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 SAR 29.17

$11.88 MX$205

-34.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cappuccino

$3.47 SAR 13.04

$3.98 MX$68.6

-12.81%

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

$0.87 SAR 3.27

$1.43 MX$24.60

-39.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 SAR 0.98

$0.82 MX$14.22

-68.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 SAR 7.31

$1.68 MX$28.89

16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 SAR 4.39

$2.20 MX$37.88

-46.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 SAR 8.47

$1.71 MX$29.45

31.58%

Eggs

$2.43 SAR 9.13

$2.74 MX$47.26

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 SAR 28.16

$9.58 MX$165

-21.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 SAR 30.06

$9.01 MX$155

-11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.92 SAR 48.52

$12.81 MX$221

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

$2.89 MX$49.81

-25.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

$1.50 MX$25.81

18.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

$2.15 MX$37.03

-27.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 SAR 6.12

$2.26 MX$38.96

-27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 SAR 4.48

$1.98 MX$34.15

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.88

$1.99 MX$34.30

-34.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 SAR 4.30

$1.23 MX$21.28

-6.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.19

$1.20 MX$20.63

-51.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 SAR 10.60

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 SAR 25.68

$4.55 MX$78.5

50.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.10

$0.60 MX$10.35

81.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.34 SAR 133

$28.80 MX$497

22.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 SAR 11.09

$5.39 MX$92.9

-45.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.94

$3.73 MX$64.3

-50.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.45 SAR 50.5

$5.77 MX$99.5

133.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.35

$1.54 MX$26.48

-59.09%

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

$46.1K SAR 173.0K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

104.33%

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

$21.3K SAR 80.1K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-18.13%

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

$99.2 SAR 373

$91.4 MX$1,576

8.60%

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

$32.23 SAR 121

$25.20 MX$435

27.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 SAR 247

$31.24 MX$539

110.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.7 SAR 311

$67.2 MX$1,159

23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.81 SAR 138

$29.11 MX$502

26.45%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 SAR 50.8

$4.86 MX$83.8

177.98%

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

$340 SAR 1,276

$224 MX$3,856

51.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,607 SAR 24.8K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

56.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 SAR 189

$47.10 MX$812

6.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 SAR 217

$44.29 MX$764

30.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 SAR 369

$80.1 MX$1,381

22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 SAR 329

$92.7 MX$1,598

-5.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 SAR 2,184

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-45.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 SAR 1,297

$390 MX$6,728

-11.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 SAR 3,253

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$560 SAR 2,102

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-56.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 SAR 8,842

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-41.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,396 SAR 5,244

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-78.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,373 SAR 5,156

$758 MX$13.1K

81.04%

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 Hafar Al Batin: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $581 in Hafar Al Batin and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hafar Al Batin pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Hafar Al Batin vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $276 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 9% 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 81% 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: $581 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $340 in Hafar Al Batin 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 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,157 in Hafar Al Batin versus $1,266 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 $1,157 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 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.