Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Khafji and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Khafji: $674 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Khafji, Saudi Arabia
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Khafji
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$674
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Khafji and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Khafji and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $674 in Khafji versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Khafji $674
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,058 in Khafji versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Khafji $1,058
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,443 in Khafji versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Khafji $1,443
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Khafji costs roughly 44% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Khafji 51% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.24 SAR 12.15
$10.92 MX$204
-70.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.45 SAR 129
$43.37 MX$808
-20.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.96 SAR 18.62
$11.78 MX$220
-57.89%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.91 SAR 3.40
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 SAR 5.93
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.87 SAR 10.76
$3.81 MX$71.0
-24.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 SAR 2.95
$1.28 MX$23.90
-38.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.21 SAR 0.77
$0.78 MX$14.59
-73.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.17 MX$59.0
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.93 MX$92.0
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 SAR 6.56
$1.41 MX$26.22
24.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.27 SAR 4.78
$2.22 MX$41.33
-42.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.96 SAR 7.37
$1.42 MX$26.42
38.03%
Eggs
$2.12 SAR 7.96
$2.52 MX$47.03
-15.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 SAR 28.21
$7.26 MX$135
3.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.80 SAR 29.27
$7.70 MX$143
1.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.98 SAR 48.71
$12.69 MX$237
2.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 SAR 8.62
$2.78 MX$51.9
-17.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 SAR 6.22
$1.37 MX$25.50
21.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.64 SAR 6.14
$2.55 MX$47.55
-35.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 SAR 6.05
$2.12 MX$39.58
-24.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 SAR 4.17
$1.94 MX$36.13
-42.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 SAR 4.54
$1.89 MX$35.16
-35.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 SAR 4.81
$1.15 MX$21.37
11.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 SAR 2.21
$1.18 MX$21.98
-50.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$4.25 SAR 15.96
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 SAR 5.60
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 SAR 8.12
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.68 SAR 28.83
$4.30 MX$80.1
78.60%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$9.95 MX$185
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.58 MX$29.52
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.67 MX$49.79
-
🚌 Getting Around
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.55 MX$10.31
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$496
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.74 SAR 10.27
$4.97 MX$92.6
-44.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.64 SAR 9.89
$3.33 MX$62.1
-20.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.27 SAR 49.81
$5.36 MX$99.8
147.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.61 SAR 2.29
$1.44 MX$26.92
-57.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.5K SAR 110.6K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
42.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.4K SAR 80.5K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
-8.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 SAR 490
$84.8 MX$1,581
53.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.28 SAR 121
$23.41 MX$436
37.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.6 SAR 235
$28.66 MX$534
118.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.1 MX$1,063
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.20 SAR 49.55
$5.14 MX$95.8
156.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$136 SAR 511
$207 MX$3,851
-34.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 SAR 14.7K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
-0.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.57 SAR 160
$43.35 MX$808
-1.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.96 SAR 187
$41.44 MX$772
20.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.0 SAR 364
$74.2 MX$1,383
30.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.8 SAR 337
$89.3 MX$1,664
0.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$664 SAR 2,493
$980 MX$18.3K
-32.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$381 MX$7,099
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,708 MX$31.8K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,075 MX$20.0K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Khafji
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
11.45
-48.47%

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

Last update for Khafji: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Khafji
$225
Playa del Carmen
$137 39.3% $89
Groceries & Markets
Khafji
$201
Playa del Carmen
$255 26.7% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Khafji
$126
Playa del Carmen
$112 11.1% $14
Eating Out
Khafji
$79
Playa del Carmen
$202 156% $123
Sport & Entertainment
Khafji
$26 *
Playa del Carmen
$67 155% $41
Getting Around
Khafji
$16 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 217% $35
Accommodation & Living
Khafji
- *
Playa del Carmen
$381

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $664 in Khafji and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34 in Khafji vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $255 per month, with Khafji cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇦 Khafji
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
04:23 4:23 AM
20:23 8:23 PM
8 h behind Khafji
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,012
149,923
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.18 SAR (1 SAR = 0.239 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Khafji Playa del Carmen 12,770 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Khafji
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Khafji vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Khafji cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Khafji is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,010 in Khafji and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Khafji and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $664 in Khafji versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $136 in Khafji versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Khafji or in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Khafji – a meal for two runs $34 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Khafji or in Playa del Carmen?
At $674 in Khafji versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khafji but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Khafji the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Khafji or in Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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