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: $966 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,565 in Khamis Mushayt versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Khamis Mushayt versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Khamis Mushayt costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Khamis Mushayt 28% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 SAR 24.68

$11.99 MX$210

-45.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 SAR 157

$41.78 MX$733

0.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 SAR 25.20

$10.75 MX$189

-37.58%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.81

Cappuccino

$5.23 SAR 19.64

$3.50 MX$61.3

49.43%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.86

$1.45 MX$25.41

-47.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 SAR 1.06

$0.88 MX$15.52

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 SAR 6.42

$1.43 MX$25.12

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 SAR 1.35

$1.84 MX$32.23

-80.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 SAR 6.91

$1.57 MX$27.51

17.20%

Eggs

$4.44 SAR 16.66

$2.51 MX$44.06

76.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 SAR 25.48

$8.28 MX$145

-18.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 SAR 28.76

$8.43 MX$148

-9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 SAR 57.9

$10.68 MX$187

44.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 SAR 8.25

$2.61 MX$45.76

-15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 SAR 5.58

$1.44 MX$25.22

3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$1.96 MX$34.41

-44.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

$2.09 MX$36.74

-3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 SAR 6.43

$1.85 MX$32.47

-7.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 SAR 5.39

$2.17 MX$38.02

-33.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.47

$1.03 MX$18.09

15.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 SAR 2.61

$1.07 MX$18.84

-34.58%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.41 SAR 9.05

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 SAR 7.57

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.10 SAR 30.42

$4.10 MX$72.0

97.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 SAR 3.91

$0.51 MX$8.93

103.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.69 SAR 153

$26.04 MX$457

56.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 SAR 10.03

$3.23 MX$56.7

-17.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 SAR 7.58

$2.41 MX$42.19

-16.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.12 SAR 49.27

$3.23 MX$56.6

306.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.32 MX$23.17

-52.27%

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

$26.7K SAR 100.3K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-10.06%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.9K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-4.49%

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

$106 SAR 398

$82.0 MX$1,439

29.29%

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

$33.53 SAR 126

$22.95 MX$403

46.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 SAR 268

$30.11 MX$528

136.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.9 SAR 330

$52.0 MX$912

69.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.17 SAR 132

$18.53 MX$325

89.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.36 SAR 57.7

$4.98 MX$87.3

208.43%

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

$348 SAR 1,309

$197 MX$3,463

76.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,953 SAR 26.1K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

30.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 SAR 225

$35.60 MX$624

68.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 SAR 230

$40.33 MX$707

51.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 SAR 299

$78.8 MX$1,381

1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 SAR 313

$88.9 MX$1,560

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 SAR 591

$947 MX$16.6K

-83.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$105 SAR 396

$474 MX$8,314

-77.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 SAR 1,509

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-75.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 SAR 1,053

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-76.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 SAR 9,790

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-35.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,448 SAR 5,438

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-77.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 SAR 6,020

$654 MX$11.5K

145.15%

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 Khamis Mushayt: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $157 in Khamis Mushayt and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Khamis Mushayt pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Khamis Mushayt vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $249 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 30% 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 145% 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: $157 in Khamis Mushayt versus $947 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $348 in Khamis Mushayt versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $966 in Khamis Mushayt versus $1,256 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 $966 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.