Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medina and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,339 in Medina, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medina outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Medina
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Medina Living Index
59

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

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Medina

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,339

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,339 per month in Medina vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medina $1,339
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,801 per month in Medina vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medina $1,801
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,263 per month in Medina vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Medina $2,263
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Medina costs about 11% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medina and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Medina 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 SAR 20.86

$10.76 MX$199

-48.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.40 SAR 118

$43.03 MX$795

-27.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 SAR 29.11

$11.79 MX$218

-34.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 SAR 5.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 SAR 6.36

Cappuccino

$2.69 SAR 10.11

$3.87 MX$71.4

-30.49%

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

$0.80 SAR 3.00

$1.37 MX$25.29

-41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 SAR 0.94

$0.84 MX$15.44

-70.24%

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)

$1.43 SAR 5.35

$1.44 MX$26.55

-0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 SAR 3.53

$2.23 MX$41.23

-57.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 SAR 8.66

$1.47 MX$27.17

57.14%

Eggs

$2.03 SAR 7.61

$2.53 MX$46.71

-19.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 SAR 20.35

$7.30 MX$135

-25.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 SAR 27.04

$7.86 MX$145

-8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 SAR 47.32

$12.79 MX$236

-1.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 SAR 9.15

$2.90 MX$53.6

-15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 SAR 7.13

$1.44 MX$26.53

31.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 SAR 8.55

$2.55 MX$47.07

-10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 SAR 5.53

$2.06 MX$38.03

-28.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 SAR 5.16

$2.00 MX$36.97

-31.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 SAR 4.84

$2.01 MX$37.07

-35.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 SAR 3.22

$1.19 MX$22.02

-27.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 SAR 2.85

$1.26 MX$23.23

-39.68%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.34 SAR 5.04

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SAR 5.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 SAR 6.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 SAR 27.42

$4.40 MX$81.4

66.14%

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)

$1.08 SAR 4.06

$0.57 MX$10.47

89.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.53 SAR 141

$27.82 MX$514

34.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 SAR 5.07

$4.98 MX$92.1

-72.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 SAR 6.11

$3.50 MX$64.6

-53.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 SAR 21.32

$5.40 MX$99.8

5.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 SAR 2.41

$1.47 MX$27.08

-56.46%

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

$41.7K SAR 156.4K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

98.58%

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

$20.6K SAR 77.2K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

-13.95%

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

$152 SAR 570

$84.2 MX$1,556

80.41%

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

$27.74 SAR 104

$23.99 MX$443

15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.7 SAR 337

$29.02 MX$536

209.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.2 SAR 301

$63.0 MX$1,164

27.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 SAR 33.54

$29.14 MX$539

-69.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.39 SAR 50.2

$4.94 MX$91.3

171.05%

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

$288 SAR 1,080

$204 MX$3,763

41.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,525 SAR 20.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

40.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.85 SAR 138

$43.60 MX$806

-15.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 SAR 199

$43.12 MX$797

22.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.5 SAR 253

$75.8 MX$1,400

-10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 SAR 260

$88.6 MX$1,637

-21.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 SAR 2,088

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 SAR 1,929

$374 MX$6,911

37.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 SAR 2,836

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-55.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 SAR 2,172

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-47.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,251 SAR 8,446

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,324 SAR 4,967

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-78.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,209 SAR 4,537

$754 MX$13.9K

60.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

11.45

-63.58%

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

Last update for Medina: October 10, 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

Medina

$514 38.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 27.2% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medina

$269 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 49.1% $132

Groceries & Markets

Medina

$190 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 35.7% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Medina

$107 8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 31.9% $34

Eating Out

Medina

$104 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 94% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medina

$102 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 10.7% $11

Getting Around

Medina

$51 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 2.4% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $556 in Medina versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Medina, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Medina versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $258 – making Medina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Medina

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

19:16 7:16 PM

8 h behind Medina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100,093

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

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Highest

Between locations

Medina Playa del Carmen 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medina
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

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

Medina costs about 11% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,008 per month in Medina and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $288 per month in Medina and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 36% cheaper in Medina – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Medina at $1,339. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,210 versus $1,339 in Medina. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.