Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mecca and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Mecca: $936 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
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Mecca Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mecca 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 Mecca and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Mecca versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Mecca $936
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Mecca versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Mecca $1,453
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,970 in Mecca versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Mecca $1,970
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Mecca costs roughly 23% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mecca 31% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 SAR 17.14

$10.76 MX$199

-57.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.89 SAR 101

$43.03 MX$795

-37.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 SAR 26.52

$11.79 MX$218

-40.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$2.61 SAR 9.79

$3.87 MX$71.4

-32.56%

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

$0.67 SAR 2.51

$1.37 MX$25.29

-51.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 SAR 0.86

$0.84 MX$15.44

-72.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$1.44 MX$26.55

21.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 SAR 3.85

$2.23 MX$41.23

-53.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

$1.47 MX$27.17

43.54%

Eggs

$2.52 SAR 9.46

$2.53 MX$46.71

-0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.92 SAR 22.20

$7.30 MX$135

-18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 SAR 30.33

$7.86 MX$145

2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 SAR 48.59

$12.79 MX$236

1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 SAR 7.84

$2.90 MX$53.6

-27.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 SAR 5.94

$1.44 MX$26.53

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 SAR 6.05

$2.55 MX$47.07

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

$2.06 MX$38.03

-28.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 SAR 4.21

$2.00 MX$36.97

-44.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 SAR 4.87

$2.01 MX$37.07

-35.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 SAR 3.94

$1.19 MX$22.02

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 SAR 1.86

$1.26 MX$23.23

-60.32%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.81 SAR 25.56

$4.40 MX$81.4

54.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 SAR 5.03

$0.57 MX$10.47

135.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 SAR 9.11

$4.98 MX$92.1

-51.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 SAR 6.57

$3.50 MX$64.6

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.15 SAR 49.33

$5.40 MX$99.8

143.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 SAR 2.38

$1.47 MX$27.08

-57.14%

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

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

126.27%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-11.63%

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

$66.9 SAR 251

$84.2 MX$1,556

-20.60%

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

$35.35 SAR 133

$23.99 MX$443

47.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 SAR 237

$29.02 MX$536

117.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.7 SAR 303

$63.0 MX$1,164

28.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.52 SAR 160

$29.14 MX$539

45.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 SAR 44.88

$4.94 MX$91.3

142.11%

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

$775 SAR 2,907

$204 MX$3,763

280.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

311.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.57 SAR 50.9

$43.60 MX$806

-68.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 SAR 214

$43.12 MX$797

32.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.67 SAR 149

$75.8 MX$1,400

-47.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 SAR 200

$88.6 MX$1,637

-39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 SAR 2,001

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-47.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 SAR 1,088

$374 MX$6,911

-22.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SAR 3,114

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 SAR 1,963

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-52.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

61.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 SAR 8,624

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-62.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,083 SAR 4,063

$754 MX$13.9K

43.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

11.45

-54.15%

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

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mecca

$290 31%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 28.9% $84

Groceries & Markets

Mecca

$193 20.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 33.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mecca

$165 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 17% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Mecca

$105 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 30.4% $32

Eating Out

Mecca

$93 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 118% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Mecca

$74 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 53.6% $39

Getting Around

Mecca

$17 * 1.8%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 218% $36

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 $533 in Mecca and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Mecca vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $258 per month, with Mecca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Mecca

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

8 h behind Mecca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,675,368

149,923

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mecca Playa del Carmen 12,590 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mecca
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

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

Mecca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% higher in Mecca, 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: $533 in Mecca versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $936 per month in Mecca versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $936 in Mecca versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mecca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Mecca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mecca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mecca 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 Mecca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.