Cost of Living Comparison Between Khamis Mushayt and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Khamis Mushayt and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,206 in Khamis Mushayt versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Khamis Mushayt costs roughly 11% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Khamis Mushayt 18% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 SAR 17.80

$11.60 MX$200

-59.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.27 SAR 121

$47.11 MX$811

-31.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.76 SAR 25.41

$11.88 MX$205

-43.10%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

Cappuccino

$2.87 SAR 10.80

$3.98 MX$68.5

-27.89%

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

$0.66 SAR 2.47

$1.43 MX$24.57

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.87

$0.82 MX$14.20

-71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$1.68 MX$28.85

-6.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 SAR 1.58

$2.20 MX$37.83

-80.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 SAR 11.89

$1.71 MX$29.41

85.38%

Eggs

$2.41 SAR 9.04

$2.74 MX$47.20

-12.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.29 SAR 23.64

$9.58 MX$165

-34.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 SAR 20.98

$9.01 MX$155

-37.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 SAR 53.5

$12.81 MX$221

11.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

$2.89 MX$49.74

-25.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 SAR 6.55

$1.50 MX$25.78

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 SAR 5.90

$2.15 MX$36.98

-26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 SAR 6.33

$2.26 MX$38.91

-25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 SAR 4.35

$1.98 MX$34.10

-41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 SAR 4.99

$1.99 MX$34.26

-33.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.23 MX$21.25

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 SAR 2.20

$1.20 MX$20.60

-51.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.49 SAR 9.34

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 SAR 5.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 SAR 24.47

$4.55 MX$78.3

43.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$0.60 MX$10.34

71.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.41 SAR 118

$28.80 MX$496

9.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 SAR 10.83

$5.39 MX$92.8

-46.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 SAR 5.88

$3.73 MX$64.2

-57.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.70 SAR 51.5

$5.77 MX$99.3

137.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.44

$1.54 MX$26.45

-57.79%

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

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

86.75%

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

$20.2K SAR 75.9K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

-22.43%

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

$101 SAR 381

$91.4 MX$1,573

10.97%

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

$32.89 SAR 124

$25.20 MX$434

30.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 SAR 239

$31.24 MX$538

103.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.8 SAR 322

$67.2 MX$1,157

27.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.26 SAR 151

$29.11 MX$501

38.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 SAR 50.6

$4.86 MX$83.7

177.16%

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

$324 SAR 1,218

$224 MX$3,851

45.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,702 SAR 25.2K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

58.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 SAR 205

$47.10 MX$811

16.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.9 SAR 199

$44.29 MX$763

19.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 SAR 368

$80.1 MX$1,379

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 SAR 326

$92.7 MX$1,596

-6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 SAR 1,947

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-51.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 SAR 1,131

$390 MX$6,719

-22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 SAR 2,998

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-62.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 SAR 2,208

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-53.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,478 SAR 9,306

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-38.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 SAR 5,420

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-77.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 SAR 5,908

$758 MX$13.1K

107.46%

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 Khamis Mushayt: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Khamis Mushayt and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 107% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Khamis Mushayt vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $276 per month, with Khamis Mushayt 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

Khamis Mushayt vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Khamis Mushayt wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Khamis Mushayt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 107% higher in Khamis Mushayt, 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: $518 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Khamis Mushayt runs roughly 9% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $324 in Khamis Mushayt versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,120 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Khamis Mushayt but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Khamis Mushayt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Khamis Mushayt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,120 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Khamis Mushayt hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Khamis Mushayt 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 Khamis Mushayt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.