Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-hawiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Al-hawiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,882 in Al-hawiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,542 in Al-hawiyah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 6% more expensive than Al-hawiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Al-hawiyah 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.84 SAR 25.66

71.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$44.30 SAR 166

-6.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.80 SAR 29.27

36.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.37

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.92

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.61 SAR 13.54

-2.49%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.80 SAR 3.02

88.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.29 SAR 1.07

234.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.69 SAR 6.35

-18.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.96 SAR 3.60

96.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.27 SAR 8.52

-27.75%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.42 SAR 9.09

3.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.73 SAR 25.27

23.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.61 SAR 28.55

9.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.06 SAR 49.00

-17.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.29 SAR 8.58

13.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.64 SAR 6.17

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.70 SAR 6.37

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.56 SAR 5.84

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.29 SAR 4.85

37.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.26 SAR 4.75

73.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.20 SAR 4.49

-13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.55 SAR 2.08

96.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.67 SAR 10.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.89 SAR 25.88

-40.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.05 SAR 3.94

-51.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$40.44 SAR 152

-34.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.67 SAR 10.02

22.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.90 SAR 7.12

31.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$13.34 SAR 50.1

-75.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.65 SAR 2.43

101.54%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$26.6K SAR 99.9K

13.76%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$22.1K SAR 83.1K

5.79%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$106 SAR 397

-21.60%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$34.27 SAR 129

-35.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$73.7 SAR 277

-60.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$86.6 SAR 325

-40.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$36.20 SAR 136

-49.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$15.96 SAR 59.9

-68.23%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$350 SAR 1,313

-42.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,922 SAR 26.0K

-24.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$59.2 SAR 222

-37.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$61.4 SAR 231

-35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$77.8 SAR 292

0.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$82.6 SAR 310

5.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$433 SAR 1,627

124.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$374 SAR 1,405

24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$866 SAR 3,252

89.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$625 SAR 2,346

95.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,091 SAR 7,846

88.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,170 SAR 4,390

455.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.42

158.37%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Al-hawiyah: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $433 in Al-hawiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Al-hawiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $196, with Al-hawiyah 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 Al-hawiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Al-hawiyah differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,222 including rent). Al-hawiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,833 in Al-hawiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $433 in Al-hawiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-hawiyah – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,222 in Al-hawiyah – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Al-hawiyah versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-hawiyah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Al-hawiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-hawiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.