Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ad Dammam Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ad Dammam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,207 in Ad Dammam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,891 in Ad Dammam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,575 in Ad Dammam.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than Ad Dammam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ad Dammam 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.49 SAR 28.11

58.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$54.1 SAR 203

-20.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.78 SAR 29.21

36.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 SAR 7.16

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.82

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.60 SAR 13.51

-4.17%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.89 SAR 3.34

68.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.35 SAR 1.31

171.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.66 SAR 6.24

-16.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.45 SAR 5.45

27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.00 SAR 7.52

-19.50%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.24 SAR 8.41

15.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.01 SAR 22.56

37.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.22 SAR 27.11

15.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.97 SAR 37.41

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.17 SAR 8.16

21.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.50 SAR 5.61

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.41 SAR 5.28

36.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.60 SAR 6.01

30.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.22 SAR 4.59

52.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.39 SAR 5.22

62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.36 SAR 5.10

-22.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.59 SAR 2.22

84.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.19 SAR 15.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SAR 7.49

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$7.84 SAR 29.43

-47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.95 SAR 3.56

-43.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$40.76 SAR 153

-33.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.36 SAR 12.60

-6.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.71 SAR 10.18

-7.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$13.53 SAR 50.8

-76.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.61 SAR 2.28

108.20%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.9K SAR 85.8K

32.82%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$20.7K SAR 77.6K

13.90%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$117 SAR 440

-29.15%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$38.94 SAR 146

-41.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$62.3 SAR 234

-52.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$69.0 SAR 259

-26.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$30.82 SAR 116

-40.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$15.05 SAR 56.5

-67.24%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$414 SAR 1,552

-52.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,178 SAR 30.7K

-35.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$69.0 SAR 259

-46.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$67.6 SAR 254

-40.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$90.7 SAR 340

-11.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$85.9 SAR 322

4.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$445 SAR 1,669

115.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$385 SAR 1,446

23.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$800 SAR 3,002

105.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$635 SAR 2,382

92.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,331 SAR 4,995

194.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$804 SAR 3,019

702.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,884 SAR 7,071

-64.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.33

163.74%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ad Dammam: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $445 in Ad Dammam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ad Dammam pays 183% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $54.0 in Ad Dammam. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $185, with Ad Dammam cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ad Dammam wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ad Dammam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ad Dammam earns 183% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $445 in Ad Dammam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,207 in Ad Dammam – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ad Dammam runs roughly 51% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Ad Dammam versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ad Dammam but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ad Dammam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ad Dammam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ad Dammam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ad Dammam 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 Ad Dammam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.